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RCB Youngster Earns Two-Year Contract After Breakout Year in Internationals
Follow UsJacob Bethell earned himself a two-year contract, which will run through till 2027 season
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 22-year-old youngster Jacob Bethell has earned himself a two-year central contract with England on November 4 (Tuesday). The youngster made his international debut in 2024 and has gone on to become one of the integral parts of the English setup across formats.
Bethell also led the England team in their T20I series against Ireland, and is expected to play an important role in the upcoming Test assignment Down Under. Ben Stokes, England’s red-ball captain, has also got a two-year contract, which all but signals that the all-rounder could be in line for the 2027 Ashes.
Apart from that, the usual suspects such as Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Adil Rashid and Gus Atkinson are in the two-year contract club. Surprisingly, though, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have given a two-year contract to all-rounder Sam Curran, who hasn’t played a lot of international cricket over the last year.
"This year's central contract group reflects the depth and strength of talent we have across England Men's cricket," Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, said. "We have awarded two-year deals to our multi-format players, so we can manage their workloads responsibly and give them the stability they need to perform across formats.
However, there’s no place for veterans such as Jonny Bairstow, Jack Leach, Chris Woakes, Liam Livingstone, Olly Stone and John Turner. Livingstone is still an active part of England’s white-ball squads and is expected to be part of the country’s 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in 2026.
Two-year contracts: Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes, Josh Tongue
One-year contracts: Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Phil Salt, Luke Wood, Mark Wood
Lapsed contracts: Jonny Bairstow, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, Chris Woakes, John Turner