Jacob Bethell had a remarkable debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year as a member of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise, which won the coveted trophy for the first time. The England all-rounder was signed by RCB at the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last year for INR 2.60 crore.
Bethell had to wait for his turn, as compatriot Phil Salt missed a handful of games midway through the season due to sickness. On his debut against the Delhi Capitals on April 27, the southpaw scored 12 runs off six balls while opening the batting with Virat Kohli. However, in the following game, he made an impact, scoring a 33-ball 55 with eight fours and two maximums. The opening partnership scored 97 runs in 10 overs.
Bethell, who scored 85 runs in three games with an average of 85 and a strike rate of 173.47 during England’s recent 3-0 T20I series victory over the West Indies, thanked Kohli for assisting him with various aspects of his game during the IPL. The 21-year-old also stated that it was impressive to watch Kohli swap gears during an innings, particularly when chasing.
“It’s been fantastic. Virat was incredible in assisting me, even if he didn’t say anything to me directly, just by witnessing how he goes about training and does things. Especially when chasing in a T20 match. That was fantastic to watch and understand firsthand how effortlessly he can move up and down the gears and pattern an innings according on what is required,” Bethell.
Jacob Bethell rewarded for stellar start across formats
Meanwhile, Jacob Bethell has had an impressive start to his career. He has played three Tests, 12 ODIs, and 13 T20Is so far. He is averaging 52, 35.22, and 40.14 in the three formats, respectively. The Barbados-born has been named in England’s squad for the first Test against India, starting on June 20.
India
