Will Jordan Cox replace Jacob Bethell in RCB's XI vs PBKS in IPL 2026?

Jacob Bethell has been going through poor form, and Jordan Cox’s name has been doing rounds.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are having another season to remember as they are currently at the top of the points table in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. They have won 8 games out of 12 played and are favourites to qualify for a top-two spot, but there are still two matches remaining and nothing is certain in this league, especially with other teams also gaining momentum.

Even though RCB are winning matches, they are not playing with their best team since Phil Salt picked up an injury and is currently in the UK for assessment. He is not expected to join the team at least until the end of the league stage, and therefore the opening role has become a challenge for the team to fill.

Jacob Bethell, who has been given the opportunity to open in place of Salt, has not really clicked so far, with low returns in almost every game, and questions are now being raised about replacing him with someone else for clash against PBKS, which will be played on Sunday, May 17, in Dharamsala.

Jordan Cox might replace Jacob Bethell in the playing XI against PBKS

One of the problems RCB have faced so far is the usage of their overseas players. The places of Tim David and Josh Hazlewood in the team have been permanent, and the injury to Phil Salt forced them to change their combination and accommodate Jacob Bethell at the top.

Meanwhile, the poor form of Romario Shepherd also forced them to replace him with Duffy while giving Venkatesh Iyer a chance in the batting lineup. Bethell hasn’t really clicked this season, scoring only 85 runs in 6 matches with a poor strike rate of 121, which is not what you expect from a classy player like him.

This poor form may force the management to replace him with someone like Jordan Cox. Even though nothing has been confirmed yet, in the recently posted match preview videos of RCB against Punjab Kings, Jordan Cox was seen practicing with team head coach Andy Flower, indicating that he could replace Bethell in the team.

If that happens, Cox is likely to play in the middle or lower order as a finisher, and we may see either Devdutt Padikkal or Venkatesh Iyer opening alongside Virat Kohli. However, considering how good Bethell has been in international cricket and the class he provides, the management may also decide to back him.

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