Jacob Bethell was sent off as a 14-year-old in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s first appearance of the 2026 Indian Premier League season on Friday.
Bethell’s participation in the tournament was in question this week. England’s Test number three has been unused during RCB’s opening six matches and former captain Sir Alastair Cook has urged the youngster to return to Warwickshire and play county cricket instead of “sitting around doing nothing in the IPL”.
Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen weighed in on the controversy, posting on social media: “Alastair Cook has no idea what it’s like to be in the IPL. Stay in India, Jacob. I know. Even if he’s not playing, he’s learning and will become a much better player.”
Bethell got his first opportunity as an ‘impact player’ this season against Gujarat Titans. Not named in the initial starting XI, he was substituted in to open the batting in RCB’s 206 chase win.
The 22-year-old left-hander went 3 for 4 while throwing 10 pitches and ended up 3 overs after hitting a ball thrown directly to the fielder by Mohammed Siraj. He felt frustrated.
Legendary RCB and India batsman Virat Kohli was dropped off the first ball and despite an early Bethell batting, he hit 81 off 44 balls to ultimately lead his team to victory.
Virat Kohli hit 81 off 44 balls to see Royal Challengers Bengaluru win against Gujarat Titans.
Kohli shared a decisive stand with Devdutt Padikkal (55 off 27) for the second wicket, as the defending champions secured their fifth win for seven with seven balls to spare, moving them to second place in the table.
Earlier, Gujarat opener Sudharsan scored a stunning 100 off 58 balls in the Titans’ total of 205-3, but his efforts ultimately proved to be in vain.
England’s Jos Buttler scored 25 runs off 16 and batted at number 3 for Gujarat.
‘It’s the right thing for me now’ – Bethell responds to criticism of IPL
Despite being sidelined before Friday’s game, Bethell, who earns around £250,000 from RCB, defended being in the IPL rather than Warwickshire.
“I firmly believe this is what I need to do now.” Bethel said: The Sky Cricket podcast earlier this week.
“I feel better now than I did a month ago after the World Cup. Just spending time with the players here and being exposed to the pure standards of Indian cricket and the IPL has made me feel better.
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Jacob Bethell answers questions about participating in the Indian Premier League as the county cricket season gets underway.
“Not many people understand how awesome it is until they are here and actually around the team or involved in the tournament itself.
“It feels completely different. Because of the scale of the tournament, it feels like everyone is subconsciously improving their game without even realizing it.”
Bethell added: “You might not get the time in between like you would if you were playing four rounds in a county championship, but for me personally, it’s really important to move forward in terms of your ability to get on with what you actually want to do when there are so many eyes on you.
“And now the schedule is to have scrimmages when we’re not playing. I know it won’t be the same as a real competitive game, but it feels like the whole squad is working together, so it’s buying time in between.”
