Jacob Bethell doubtful for Chennai T20I vs India as England announce 12-member squad

In a recent development, the England national cricket team suffered a major injury setback ahead of the second T20I of the five-match series against India. Young all-rounder Jacob Bethell is doubtful for the upcoming match, which is set to take place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on January 25.

The Jos Buttler-led team started the T20I series against India with a seven-wicket loss at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on January 22. England scored just 132 runs after being asked to bat first during the series opener. In response, Team India chased down the target with more than seven overs to spare.

Jacob Bethell Doubtful for Upcoming T20I Match vs India

Journalist Will Macpherson from Telegraph Sport reported that Jacob Bethell missed training in Chennai due to illness. He added that Bethell is doubtful for the second T20I against India.

"England training in Chennai. Jacob Bethell not here as he's unwell, so he's at least a doubt for tomorrow's second T20," Will Macpherson wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

England training in Chennai. Jacob Bethell not here as he's unwell, so he's at least a doubt for tomorrow's second T20

— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) January 24, 2025

England Announces 12-Member Squad for Chennai T20I Clash

On Friday, England announced their 12-member squad for the upcoming match. Brydon Carse replaced Gus Atkinson in the lineup, while wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith has been included in the squad. Smith could replace Jacob Bethell if the latter does not recover from illness.

England squad: Ben Duckett, Philip Salt(w), Jos Buttler(c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Jamie Smith

"🚨 Team news for tomorrow's second T20I v India 🔁 Brydon Carse comes in for Gus Atkinson 🆕 Jamie Smith has also been added to the 12 player squad," England wrote on X.

🚨 Team news for tomorrow's second T20I v India

🔁 Brydon Carse comes in for Gus Atkinson

🆕 Jamie Smith has also been added to the 12 player squad pic.twitter.com/Fr4Hju00qs

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 24, 2025

Brydon Carse replaces Gus Atkinson for England tomorrow. Jamie Smith will come in for Jacob Bethell if he doesn't recover from illness.

— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) January 24, 2025

Hardik Pandya dismissed Jacob Bethell, who managed only seven runs off 14 balls in his debut outing in India. The 21-year-old struggled against Indian spinners and attempted an aggressive shot against Pandya. However, he mistimed the shot and was caught in the deep by Abhishek Sharma on the leg side.

Bethell has played eight T20Is, amassing 180 runs at an impressive strike rate of 153.84 and an average of 45.00. He has played in 61 T20s, scoring 1111 runs with a strike rate nearing 140. Bethell is a left-arm orthodox spinner, making him a valuable all-rounder, particularly in spin-friendly Indian conditions.

India's T20I Record at Chepauk: One Win, One Loss

The second T20I between India and England in the five-match series is set to take place on Saturday, January 25, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The match will begin at 7:00 PM IST, with the toss scheduled for 6:30 PM IST.

India has played two T20Is at the Chepauk Stadium so far, with one win and one loss. The first match took place in September 2012, when New Zealand defeated India by one run. Brendon McCullum scored 91 off 55 to help the Kiwis reach 167-5, while India fell short despite Virat Kohli’s 70 off 41.

India's most recent T20I at the venue was against the West Indies in November 2018, where they secured a six-wicket win. Shikhar Dhawan scored 92 runs off 62 balls, and Rishabh Pant added 58 runs off 38 balls while chasing down 182 runs on the final ball.

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