Former England captain Michael Vaughn Emphasizes the young all-rounder. Jacob Bethel Returning home from Indian Premier League 2026 amid injury concerns and uncertainty over his place in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru playing XI ahead of the playoffs.Bethel enters IPL 2026 with high expectations after his impressive performance for England earlier in the year. However, the youngster struggled to make a big impact during the tournament, managing just 163 runs from nine matches in what has been a difficult campaign for the left-hander.The English batsman was also ruled out of RCB’s final league stage clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 22 due to a finger injury. His absence forced RCB to reshuffle their batting order. Venkatesh Iyer Opening with Virat Kohli while the franchise awaited the return of fellow Englishman Phil Salt for the playoffs. Skipper Rajat Patidar returns to XI after recovering from his finger injury.With England set to open the Test summer against the New Zealand national cricket team on June 4, Vaughan believes Bethel should prioritize recovery and national duty over remaining with RCB if they are unlikely to feature in the knockout stages.Speaking on Cricbuzz, Wan said:“If Jacob Bethel is injured, he should be on the next plane to England. England will play a Test match on June 4, making sure that England will probably keep an eye on him before then, to see if he is fit or not for the Test match against New Zealand. I would think he should go back to England, just guessing.”Vaughan acknowledged the importance of IPL experience for young cricketers but stressed that England’s preparations should take priority now.“I’m a bit old school, I guess they would say he has to stay until the end, but if he doesn’t play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, then England will have a training camp next week. He should return home to the UK.The former England captain also highlighted the learning experience Bethel has already gained from spending two seasons in the IPL environment.“You know I believe a lot in the IPL. If you’re going to play, it raises your game massively. And obviously, when you’re a young player in a dressing room with lights on, I totally understand that.”“As a young player, he came here last year, so he learned a lot. This year, he has played a little bit, but not much success. But if he is injured, England have a training camp this week. Baz McCullum will arrive in the UK on Sunday morning, and I think the training camp will start on Monday. He should go back to the UK with the team.”
