Jordan Cox didn’t play in any matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru during their IPL 2026 title win, but he can still call himself an IPL champion. His main role for the team was as a substitute fielder throughout the season.
Outside of the IPL, Cox is still waiting for his first Test match with England. The 25-year-old was set to receive his Test cap during England’s tour of New Zealand, but a broken thumb in practice sidelined him, allowing Jacob Bethell to debut instead. Cox faced another setback with a side strain that kept him from playing in a one-off Test against Zimbabwe.
Since then, Cox and Bethell have grown close. However, he acknowledged that it was tough to see Bethell receive the Test cap that he thought would be his.
“It was quite a hard thing to be there. But he’s taken it with both hands and it’s been incredible to watch what he’s become. For someone that hasn’t scored any first-class hundreds… to come in and shut everyone up, it just shows that he was the man for the job,” said Cox, according to ESPN.
Cox and Bethell have shared key moments in their careers, making their International debuts together in a T20I against Australia and being present for each other’s ODI debuts. They have built a strong friendship, and Cox hopes Bethell will be there to see his own long-awaited Test debut when it finally happens.
Despite Bethell’s recent injury scare, which might have left Cox second-guessing his IPL decision, it seems unlikely to lead to an opening in England’s Test side. Scans showed no serious damage, so Bethell is expected to keep his spot on the team.
“The IPL’s the marquee competition in the world. Test Cricket‘s the biggest thing, and I really want to give it a good crack. But the things I’ve learned here and the calibre of players that are here is something that, at that moment in time, I just couldn’t turn down… It was a dream come true, really, just to be in an IPL team,” Cox explained.
Cox’s focus is now on translating the skills he acquired in the IPL into runs in the coming weeks, aiming to secure a place in England’s squads for the white-ball series against India in July, and possibly for the Test series against Pakistan after the Hundred.
“I feel like I’ve been on the cusp for three years. Hopefully, I’ll get back and hit the ground running. That would be ideal – and then what will be will be,” Cox stated.