Match Edgbaston, Birmingham mein 30 May 2025 ko hua, aur uski innings ne England ko 400/8 tak pahunchaya, jo men’s ODI ka sabse bada total hai bina kisi ke century maare. Iske saath England ne West Indies ko 238 runs se hara diya, jo 162 pe out ho gaye. Bethell ko Player of the Match mila, aur usne dikha diya ke woh international stage pe bhi bada naam karega. Lekin asli baat toh yeh hai ke usne Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ke saath IPL 2025 mein Virat Kohli ke saath batting karke kya seekha aur kaise uska game badla.
Bethell ne RCB ke do matches khele, aur jab Phil Salt bimaar pada, toh usko Kohli ke saath open karne ka mauka mila. Ek match mein Chennai Super Kings ke khilaaf dono ne 97 run ki partnership ki, jisme Bethell ne 33 balls pe 55 ka half-century maara aur Kohli ne bhi 33 balls pe 62 thoke. Usne Kohli ke saath batting ko “electrifying” bola, aur kaha ke “Virat ke saath jab maine bat kiya, toh ek alag hi energy feel hui.” Kohli ne usko apna experience share kiya, aur Bethell ne kaha, “Main ab do mahine pehle se better player hoon, IPL ke wajah se.” X posts aur India Today, News18 jaise outlets ne bhi yeh baat quote ki.
Bethell ne Kohli ki intensity aur aura ko khub pasand kiya. “Virat jaise hi boundary line cross karta hai, woh ek switch on kar deta hai, aur uski energy sabko charge kar deti hai,” usne kaha. Off-field bhi Kohli se baat karke usko cricket aur life ke baare mein kaafi seekhne ko mila. “Unke calibre ka banda kaise kaam karta hai, yeh dekhna cool tha,” Bethell ne Yahoo Sports ko bataya.
RCB mein sirf Kohli hi nahi, coach Andy Flower aur Mitchell Starc jaise bowlers ke khilaaf khelna bhi uske liye bada experience tha. Starc ne toh usko “absolute gun” bhi bola. IPL ka pressure aur spotlight ne usko tough situations mein khelna sikhaya. Do matches mein hi usne 67 run banaye, strike rate 171.79 ke saath, aur CSK ke khilaaf ek fifty bhi thoki. Yeh sab uske ODI performance mein dikha, jahan usne 154 se zyada ke strike rate se 82 run maare, 8 fours aur 5 sixes ke saath.
Bethell ka yeh performance dikhata hai ke IPL mein uska time kitna kaam aaya. England ke 400/8 mein Ben Duckett (60), Harry Brook (58), aur Joe Root (57) ne bhi saath diya, lekin Bethell ka aggressive andaaz alag tha. West Indies ke bowlers ko usne bilkul hila diya, aur woh 27 overs mein 162 pe simat gaye. Bethell ke IPL stint ne usko itna confidence diya ke woh ab international level pe bhi dhoom macha raha hai.
Iske saath hi, Bethell ke IPL khelne ki wajah se uska ek Test match miss hona bhi discussion ka topic bana. Zimbabwe ke khilaaf Test chhoda gaya, lekin uske ODI performance ne yeh dikha diya ke IPL ka time waste nahi hua. Ab jab England Cardiff mein doosra ODI khelega, Bethell ka focus team ko series jitaane pe hai, aur woh Kohli se seekhi hui intensity ko apne game mein la raha hai.
Toh short mein, Jacob Bethell ne Virat Kohli ke saath RCB mein khela, uski energy aur experience se seekha, aur phir West Indies ke khilaaf 82 off 53 ka dhamaka karke dikha diya ke woh ekdum bada player banne wala hai.
