Jacob Bethell endured a tough second season in the IPL 2026.
The IPL 2026 table toppers, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), are set to take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their last league-stage match of the season. But the defending champions will miss Jacob Bethell in their playing XI in the SRH vs RCB clash tonight.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins (C), Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, R. Smaran , Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, and Sakib Hussain.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (C), Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam, Suyash Sharma, and Josh Hazlewood.
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As RCB skipper Rajat Patidar revealed at the toss, the young England batter has sustained a blow to his finger. After missing out on the previous afternoon game in Dharamsala, Patidar is back in the RCB starting XI in place of Bethell. Earlier, another RCB opener, Phil Salt, had also suffered a finger injury, which ruled him out for more than a month in the ongoing season.
According to the latest reports, Salt has rejoined the reigning champions’ camp and is expected to be available for the IPL 2026 playoffs. In his absence, Bethell was once again paired as Virat Kohli’s opening partner, following his debut-season heroics last year. But this time, the 22-year-old could not replicate a similar show, managing only 96 runs in seven appearances at a sub-par strike rate of 124.67.
However, his lean patch has not affected the side. RCB already secured their IPL 2026 playoff berth with two more group-stage matches remaining. Registering a double over the Orange Army in the SRH vs RCB clash tonight will ensure their advancement to Qualifier 1. Last year, the Bengaluru outfit went on to clinch their maiden title after winning Qualifier 1. Patidar and Co. will hope to repeat history in a bid to defend their championship.
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