Jacob Bethell says he has no regrets about sticking with his IPL commitment to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, even after noise in England suggested the County Championship should come first ahead of the Test summer. Speaking before RCB\u2019s Raipur leg of IPL 2026, the England batter framed the tournament as the sport\u2019s biggest spotlight, adding that he believes the experience will only sharpen him rather than stall his development.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the marquee competition of the year, with some of the best players in the world taking part,\u201d Bethell said. \u201cI definitely don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to damage my career or stop me from improving. If anything, I expect it to do the opposite.\u201d<\/p>\n
The discussion had been sparked by Alastair Cook, who argued that Bethell would be better served by focusing on red-ball cricket instead of \u201csitting on his arse\u201d in the IPL. Kevin Pietersen countered that view, stressing that young cricketers can grow faster by being immersed in the IPL environment\u2014something he felt outsiders may not fully appreciate.<\/p>\n
Cook\u2019s remarks arrived at a moment when Bethell hadn\u2019t played a single match for RCB in their first six outings. Since then, he has been handed starts in four games, although his runs have not come as smoothly as he would like. Even so, Bethell insists he remains focused and unmoved by the outside debate.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone\u2019s entitled to their opinions, and that\u2019s completely fine,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople see things differently, but from my side, I\u2019m confident I\u2019ve made the right call. At the end of the day, I\u2019m satisfied with where I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
Interest in Bethell had been building even before IPL action began. His remarkable century against India in the T20 World Cup semi-final opened plenty of conversations about whether RCB could somehow make room for him in their squad. For a period, that wasn\u2019t possible, but Phil Salt\u2019s finger injury later created an opening.<\/p>\n
With the opportunity now available, Bethell\u2019s impact with the bat has been underwhelming so far. Across four innings, he has produced scores of 14, 20, 5 and 4. Still, there were signals on Saturday that the coaching staff\u2019s belief is intact. During RCB\u2019s short training session in Raipur\u2014cut short by heavy rain\u2014Bethell was the first batter to take the nets, doing so alongside Virat Kohli.<\/p>\n
However, Bethell says he doesn\u2019t take that backing for granted. \u201cI don\u2019t really feel like I\u2019m battling for a place,\u201d he explained. \u201cThe honest truth is that I haven\u2019t scored the runs I wanted to, and that hasn\u2019t helped the team. My job as a batter is to go out there and put runs on the board and give us a strong start, and I haven\u2019t done that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that his motivation is not rooted in any sense of having to prove someone wrong. \u201cIt\u2019s not coming from looking over my shoulder or fighting for a spot,\u201d Bethell said. \u201cIt\u2019s more about hunger to contribute properly to this group. It doesn\u2019t feel good when you aren\u2019t contributing to wins. And with the last couple of games going the wrong way, there\u2019s a real desire to go out there and deliver a match-winning effort\u2014especially against Mumbai Indians.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bethell believes the immediate challenge is finding his rhythm after not spending enough time at the crease. \u201cAs batters, we all chase perfection, but it\u2019s pretty much unattainable,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely difficult to settle into your timing when you\u2019re not spending as much time in the middle as you\u2019d like. What I\u2019m focusing on personally is always thinking about the impact I can make in the next match.\u201d<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that his start to the tournament has not matched what he wanted. \u201cI can\u2019t pretend I\u2019ve got off to the beginning I would have hoped for,\u201d Bethell admitted. \u201cBut ultimately, the only game that matters is the one tomorrow. Once tomorrow is done, it\u2019s the next one. My entire focus is what happens first ball tomorrow, and I believe that approach will serve me well over time.\u201d<\/p>\n
After questions about his form and wider scrutiny, including debate driven by former England captains, the press conference took a lighter turn when Bethell was asked about AB de Villiers comparing him to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Bethell laughed at the comparison and responded with a reality check. \u201cI\u2019m not sure about the Vaibhav comparisons,\u201d he said. \u201cHonestly, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever scored 50 off 14 balls or whatever it was. Vaibhav is obviously a fantastic player, but for someone like AB to mention me in those comments is pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bethell also spoke with enthusiasm about the chance to open alongside Virat Kohli\u2014a role he has been glad to embrace since making his RCB debut last season. \u201cIt\u2019s great. I\u2019ve said it a few times already how enjoyable it is to bat with him and to be around him in the dressing room,\u201d Bethell said. \u201cI don\u2019t think it adds pressure on him. Having someone of that quality in the side means you can rely on him.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that batting with Kohli can also change the feel of an innings. \u201cA lot of the time, people focus on watching him, so some of the pressure is taken off you,\u201d Bethell said. \u201cSo it\u2019s not something that weighs on you\u2014it\u2019s more something that lets you play freely, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the session drew to a close, Bethell was asked to name his preferred top four picks, rounding off a conversation that moved from contract decisions and criticism to form, mindset, and the day-to-day realities of preparing for the next fixture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jacob Bethell says he has no regrets about sticking with his IPL commitment to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, even after noise in England suggested the County…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Bethell Backs RCB IPL 2026 Call Amid County-Test Debate","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Jacob Bethell defends his IPL 2026 commitment to RCB ahead of England\u2019s County vs Test debate, saying the tournament will sharpen his game.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n