Jacob Bethell, a young talent in Englandan cricket, scored a career-best 82 runs off only 53 balls against the West Indies on Friday, May 30, at Edgbaston. His innings paved the way for England to post an imposing total of 400/8, and they eventually won by 238 runs, recording their largest margin of victory in an ODI. The 21-year-old open encountered Player of the Match honors while crediting Kohli’s assistance during an IPL stint with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru earlier this year for the performance.
Bethell went on to further discuss the influence Kohli had on him during the IPL: “I always knew I wanted to be in the IPL after I signed the contract. I had a great time watching the games. Virat was awesome—he offered a lot of advice, and Andy Flower was a fantastic coach too. I really felt the energy when I batted with Virat Kohli, and I want to bring that intensity into my game,” he told the BBC.
Bethell cleared the West Indies bowlers’ attack with eight fours and five sixes, after RCB had shelled out Rs. 2.6 crore for him at the 2025 mega auction. He also had the opportunity to open the batting alongside Kohli in a couple of games, putting up an impressive 97 off 59 balls with him in one game against the Chennai Super Kings.
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Although his time in IPL ended prematurely when he was pulled back into the England ODI fold, the guidance and wisdom from Kohli obviously helped him earn that star performance.
