Tom Banton has been called up to replace Jacob Bethell for the dead rubber vs India on February 12 in Ahmedabad.
England’s Jacob Bethell was left out of Playing XI for the second ODI against India in Cuttack. He suffered a hamstring injury in the first match of the series. Bethell may be ruled out for the upcoming Champions Trophy as well.
Tom Banton has been called up to replace the all-rounder for the dead rubber on February 12 in Ahmedabad.
The extent of Bethell’injury will be looked into. But with the Champions Trophy 2025 just around the corner, England’s think tank must look into a suitable replacement. England’s campaign for the ICC event will begin on February 22 against Australia at Lahore.
Here are four potential replacements England may consider for the Champions Trophy 2025.
Mumbai Indians’ latest recruit Will Jacks can be a like-for-like replacement for Bethell. Like the 21-year-old, Jacks is also an explosive batting all-rounder. He can bat well in the top order or adjust his position in the middle order. He can also be useful with a few overs of spin. In 15 ODIs so far, Jacks has made 468 runs with a top score of 94. He has also struck four fifties so far. The youngster will make for a perfect choice to replace Bethell.
Tom Banton is called up for the third match against India. But, he could be one of the options to stick around for the Champions Trophy as well. The wicketkeeper batter last played an ODI in 2020. But, he comes on the back of a splendid season for MI Emirates in the ILT20 2024-25. He was the second-highest run-getter with 493 runs in 11 matches and was just 35 runs short of the first spot. He struck two centuries and three half-centuries to earn the spotlight.
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Another wicketkeeper batter who can fit the bill is Jordan Cox. His ODI career spans just three matches with 22 runs during his debut series in West Indies. Cox is returning from a fairly decent ILT20 campaign representing Gulf Giants. He was their third-highest run-getter with 186 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 114.11. His only half-century with a top score of 70 came against Dubai Capitals. Cox can be useful to England as another option with the gloves as well as to experiment with the top-order combinations.
Another all-rounder in contention who can strengthen England’s middle order is Sam Curran. The 26-year-old has scored 597 runs in 35 games and also picked up 33 wickets in ODIs. He has scored two fifties and has a top score of 95 not out. With the ball, bowling left-arm medium-fast, Curran has one four-fifer and one five-fifer under his name. The southpaw had an exceptional season in ILT20 as well, scoring 387 runs at a stunning average of 55.28 in 13 matches for Desert Vipers. He was not the best with the ball but he managed seven dismissals while maintaining an economy rate of 8.44.
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