The youngster shined in the recent England vs West Indies series.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were finally able to get their hands on the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy in the recently concluded season. Rajat Patidar and co. lifted the IPL 2025 title by beating Punjab Kings in the final.
This was a result of the immense work the RCB team management put in behind the scenes, led by the head coach Andy Flower. They had a dominant run in the tournament, winning 10 games and losing only four.
The IPL 2026 is a long way away but they might have found a solution to one of their middle order batting slots. The 21-year-old youngster Jacob Bethell produced some promising performance for England in their 3-0 victory over West Indies.
Jacob Bethell is naturally a top order batter and that’s how RCB saw him in the recent edition, using him only in Phil Salt’s absence. But England have played him in the middle order due to the top order already being packed.
It’s a testament to his sheer talent that the youngster hasn’t taken much time to adapt to this difficult role. He had an excellent series against West Indies. In the first game, he came in to bat at six in the 12th over and needed to rebuild the innings. He struggled to get going but made sure he was there with Jos Buttler, who was in sublime touch.
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In the second T20I, Bethell walked in at five in the 13th over with 85 runs still required. A quick-fire 26 off 10 brought down the equation to 28 off the final four overs. The Southampton game witnessed some glorious ball-striking from English batters on their way to 248. Bethell struck 36 not-out in just 16 balls, including three consecutive sixes against Gudakesh Motie.
In IPL 2025, RCB spent big money to get Liam Livingstone. They tried him in the middle order role but did not get the returns they would have hoped. They later switched to Romario Shepherd, who did a solid job. After Tim David was sidelined in the later stages, RCB once again turned to Livingstone.
The franchise can easily try Bethell in the middle order in IPL 2026. He has shown the ability to strike big without taking too many deliveries to get his eye in. Being a left-hand batter and his ability to play in any situation can give RCB even more flexibility. Playing in this role for England consistently will help him develop further and should be a better come the next IPL edition.
Bethell can also contribute to the team with his left-arm spin, offering an extra bowling option. He is a complete package and there’s no doubt he’s going to be a superstar for years to come.
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