‘Take another plane’: Michael Vaughan asks Jacob Bethell to quit IPL ahead of play-offs

Jacob Bethell of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (ANI Photo) Former England captain Michael Vaughan has urged young all-rounder Jacob Bethell to return home from the 2026 Indian Premier League amid injury concerns and uncertainty over his place in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s playing eleven ahead of the play-offs.Bethell entered IPL 2026 with considerable expectations after his impressive performances for England earlier in the year. However, the youngster struggled to make a significant impact during the tournament, managing just 163 runs in nine matches, which was a difficult campaign for the left-hander.The England batsman was also ruled out of RCB’s last league-phase encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 22 due to a finger injury. His absence forced RCB to reshuffle the batting order, with Venkatesh Iyer starting alongside Virat Kohli as the franchise waited for England’s Phil Salt to return for the playoffs. Captain Rajat Patidar returned to the XI after recovering from a finger injury.With England starting their Test summer against the New Zealand national cricket team on June 4, Vaughan believes Bethell should prioritize recovery and national duty over staying with RCB if he is unlikely to feature in the knockout stages.Speaking to Cricbuzz, Vaughan said:“If Jacob Bethell gets injured he should be on the next plane home to England. England are playing a test match on June 4 to make sure England have a look at him potentially before that to see if he’s fit or not for the test match against New Zealand. I think he’s better off back in the UK where he’s still trying.”Vaughan acknowledged the value of IPL experience for young cricketers but stressed that England’s preparation should now take priority.“I’m a bit old school, they’ll probably say he has to stay until the end, but if he doesn’t play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, England have a training camp this week. He should be back home in the UK.”The former England captain also highlighted the learning experience Bethell has already gained from his two seasons in the IPL environment.“You know I’m a big supporter of the IPL. If you play, it’s going to expand your game a lot. And of course, when you’re a young player in a lights-out dressing room, I totally get it.”“He was here as a young player last year so he learned a lot. He’s played a bit this year but hasn’t had much success. But if he gets injured, England have a training camp this week. Baz McCullum is coming to the UK on Sunday morning and I think the training camp starts on Monday. He should be back in the UK with the team.”