RAIPUR, India, May 10, 2026, 22:36 IST
- Jacob Bethell insisted sticking with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL was “the right decision” for him, opting not to head back to England for county cricket. Home
- RCB, looking to halt their skid in Raipur after two straight losses, continued to back Bethell, who remains in search of runs. The comments came as the team worked to regain its footing.
- Alastair Cook believes young players require game time, while Kevin Pietersen maintains the IPL dressing-room experience accelerates player growth.
Jacob Bethell isn’t second-guessing his commitment to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, telling reporters he’s “pretty happy” with his current setup—even as debate rages back in England over whether the Indian Premier League is moving his game forward or holding it back. India Today
Timing, in this case, is key. Jacob Bethell, 22, finds himself caught in the crossfire between the franchise cricket boom and the County Championship—England’s own first-class circuit—at the very point when RCB are moving their home fixtures to Raipur, looking to hold onto a playoff spot.
Before RCB faced off with Mumbai Indians, Bethell called the IPL his “marquee tournament” for the year. Remaining in India, he insisted, wouldn’t hold back his development. “I think I have made the right decision,” RCB quoted Bethell. Home
The England batter’s numbers haven’t backed up the case for his inclusion so far. Since stepping in for opener Phil Salt—who exited with a finger injury needing scans—he’s managed just 43 runs in four matches, averaging 10.75, according to India Today.
Bethell’s name has appeared alongside Virat Kohli at the top of the order lately, a pairing that turns up the spotlight. According to him, sharing the crease with Kohli actually takes the edge off. He feels the pressure drops, not climbs, since most of the scrutiny targets the ex-India skipper, giving Bethell space to loosen up at the crease.
RCB switched things up with a shift to Raipur. After holding their first five home matches at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, the team has turned to Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium for the last two home games, The Tribune reported, citing ANI.
Cook hasn’t minced words — mixing with top-tier players has value, but young batters have to get time in the middle. “There’s got to be a stage where you have to play,” the ex-England skipper told the Stick to Cricket podcast, as reported by NDTV. NDTV Sports
Cook said he gets why a player would stick to an IPL contract, but raised doubts about whether insiders really speak candidly about the league, given how future contracts might influence them. According to the Times of India, he mentioned hearing “undercurrents” that the IPL wasn’t “not quite as good” as it’s often made out to be. The Times of India
Pietersen, for his part, was on the opposing side earlier in the dispute. Last month, Reuters said the ex-England skipper encouraged Bethell to stay on in India—arguing that, playing or not, he’d still pick up valuable lessons just being surrounded by “the best players in the world.” Reuters
Here’s the risk Bethell faces: all that development doesn’t count for much if he’s not scoring. Should his dry patch drag on, RCB might revisit their options up top. And England’s selectors? They haven’t forgotten his limited red-ball game time when weighing up Test picks down the line.
For the moment, Bethell’s approach is to stick around. He downplayed the idea of battling for his spot, saying his focus is on helping out where he can. After RCB’s string of losses, he talked about a “burning desire” to put together a match-winning knock. The Tribune
