Young England all-rounder Jacob Bethell, fresh off a promising performance in the first ODI against India, is eagerly anticipating his stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the upcoming IPL season. The 21-year-old, who impressed with a half-century and the crucial wicket of Shreyas Iyer in Nagpur, is set to join the franchise after the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Bethell was picked up by RCB for Rs 2.2 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction.

The all-rounder has already felt the warmth of the RCB fanbase. "RCB is a great franchise, and I've felt the love over here," Bethell told Daily Mail. "Every ground I've been to, as soon as I walk onto the pitch, they start chanting: RCB, RCB. There's definitely a lot of support."

One of the highlights for Bethell has been the opportunity to meet Virat Kohli for the first time. He expressed his excitement about the prospect of sharing the field with the former RCB captain. "To play along with the likes of players like that would be really cool," he added.

Bethell considers himself a genuine all-rounder and is keen to contribute with both bat and ball for both England and RCB. He brings a refreshing perspective to facing top-level players. "As soon as you play against someone, you realise you're playing the same game and they can make the same mistakes you can. It's just that those guys obviously got a lot better at not making the mistakes," he explained. "I see myself as a genuine all-rounder. Whenever I get the chance to bowl and state my claim, and put us in a good position, I will. It's a massive part of my package."

England captain Jos Buttler was impressed with Bethell's mature performance in the first ODI. "I was watching him bat and saying 'I couldn't remember how to bat at 21', it took me till I was about 28, I think! I'm really pleased for him. He didn't find it easy at the start but he was very mature, measured, soaked up some pressure and came through it. It was a really mature innings from him. He'll learn a lot from this, it's a really good experience," Buttler said.  

Despite Bethell's strong showing, England lost the first ODI by 4 wickets. The second game of the series will be played on Sunday.

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