IND vs ENG: England to fly in Banton as cover for injured Jacob Bethell

England has called up batter Tom Banton as a cover for injured all-rounder Jacob Bethell ahead of the third ODI against India in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Bethell, who contributed a half-century and took a wicket in England's four-wicket loss to India in the first ODI in Nagpur, sustained a left hamstring injury during the match.

 

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) stated that Bethell’s injury would be further assessed when the team arrives in Ahmedabad on Monday, before the third ODI. Banton, a wicketkeeper-batter, has six ODI appearances to his name, scoring 134 runs with a top score of 58.    Banton in good run of form

 

The 26-year-old Banton has been in excellent form in T20 franchise cricket, recently leading the run charts in the UAE ILT20 competition. He has scored 493 runs from 11 innings at an impressive average of 54.77, which includes two centuries. His remarkable performances in the T20 league have prompted the ECB to bring him in as a potential replacement for Bethell.  Check all latest updates on Champions Trophy 2025 here

 

Banton is scheduled to arrive in India on Monday to join the squad ahead of the third ODI.

 

Meanwhile, India leads the three-match ODI series 1-0, after their victory in the first ODI. For the second ODI, England made three changes to their lineup, with Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, and Jamie Overton replacing the injured Bethell, Brydon Carse, and Jofra Archer. The English team will be hoping to bounce back and level the series with the inclusion of fresh faces in the playing 11.