Jordan Cox reveals why he chose IPL over England Test chances in 2026

Jordan Cox turned down England Test opportunities in 2026 to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, believing the experience would help his long-term career.

England Lions return to England After playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, Jordan Cox is set to feature for England Lions in their one-day series against South Africa A. His first appearance at Grace Road will feel dramatically different from the trophy celebrations he experienced with RCB at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The timing of his move has sparked questions about missed County Championship opportunities. An England setup still recovering from a heavy Ashes defeat had already indicated that domestic red-ball form would weigh heavily in selection decisions for the first Test against New Zealand, which begins at Lord's on Thursday. ## IPL choice vs domestic duty Had Cox spent the last two months scoring heavily for Essex in the County Championship, he might have earned a Test call-up ahead of the New Zealand series. Instead, his decision to join RCB meant running drinks rather than batting in domestic cricket. Cricket is a game of timing, and Cox's has often been unlucky. He entered last year’s IPL auction on the fringes of England squads across formats, eager to strengthen his white-ball case. At the time, after two seasons of prolific run-scoring, he never anticipated that red-ball performances would suddenly become so valuable. ## Setbacks and missed chances Eighteen months ago, Cox was preparing for his Test debut in New Zealand before fracturing his thumb in nets practice. He watched Jacob Bethell earn his cap instead and later missed another opportunity when he pulled a side muscle before a Test against Zimbabwe. Cox and Bethell have since become close friends, playing padel and watching films with Sacha Baron Cohen in Bengaluru over recent weeks. Despite the setbacks, Cox admits he struggled to witness Bethell receive the cap he believed was his, needing encouragement from his girlfriend Amelia to attend the Christchurch Test on its opening morning. ## A friendship built on shared debuts Cox and Bethell debuted for England together in a T20I against Australia and later watched each other’s ODI debuts. Cox hopes to celebrate Bethell’s Test debut someday soon. He shares a room with Bethell, staying up past 2am watching films, and says the friendship formed has been huge. Cox reflects that despite not scoring any first-class hundreds, Bethell took his opportunity and shut everyone up, proving he was the right choice. ## Bethell injury adds twist to Cox's plans An injury to Bethell could easily have shifted Cox’s IPL decision in hindsight. Bethell damaged a finger while diving to save a boundary in their penultimate group game and returned home early, making it look like James Rew—Cox’s competition as the backup keeper/batter—might debut at Lord’s. However, scans showed no serious damage, so Bethell is highly likely to play regardless. Even if Cox had scored heavily for Essex early in the season, he likely wouldn’t have featured this week, given England’s unchanged middle order since the fifth Ashes Test. ## IPL experience worth more than money Cox defends his IPL choice, calling it the marquee competition in world cricket. While Test cricket remains the pinnacle, the lessons and caliber of players in the IPL were too valuable to pass up at that moment. He argues that his Championship record—seven hundreds and an average above 60 across two seasons—already proved his county credentials. He adds that the competition is life-changing and a unique opportunity to learn from the best. ## Learning from cricket’s superstars Cox quickly befriended Virat Kohli during the IPL, spending two months picking the Indian’s brain about batting. Kohli shared every piece of knowledge he had in an effort to help Cox improve. Cox was surprised by Kohli’s generosity, given his own achievements in the game. He also batted in the nets with Phil Salt, the then-top-ranked T20 batter globally, learning different scoring shots and opportunities to exploit bowlers, which he says has elevated his spin game. ## Bench time fuels determination Cox admits watching Bethell’s rise from a non-first-class hundred batter to Test cricketer has been tough, though he acknowledges Bethell seized his chance with both hands. Despite frustration at long stints on the bench, Cox insists his IPL stint was not just financially driven—his RCB deal of INR 75 lakh (around £58,500) is five times smaller than his Welsh Fire contract in The Hundred. He genuinely believes the intangible benefits of training in India have been worthwhile. ## Future targets and England ambitions His goal now is to translate the IPL’s learning into runs over the coming weeks to force his way back into England squads. He aims to feature in the white-ball series against India in July—five T20Is and three ODIs—and potentially the Test series against Pakistan after The Hundred. Cox says with a smile that he has been on the verge for three years and hopes to return and hit the ground running. He remains focused on securing his spot, whatever the outcome may be.