Former England captain Alastair Cook The young batsman has been suggested Jacob Bethel Short cuts should be seriously considered Indian Premier League A stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru and a return to county cricket with Warwickshire, arguing that the youngster is missing out on valuable development time on the bench.Bethel, who impressed so much during the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026, was brilliant in the semi-final against India, scoring a century off just 45 balls. That innings remains one of the fastest centuries in the history of the tournament and firmly announced his arrival on the world stage.
However, despite this pace, Bethel is yet to play a single match for RCB in this IPL 2026 season. Relying on overseas options with a franchise e.g Full salt, Tim DavidRomario Shepherd and Josh Hazlewoodthe young left-hander has found himself out of the playing XI.Cook believes the situation is not ideal for a player at this stage of his career. Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, he said Bethel’s potential at the top of the order is already clear and needs to be backed up with consistent game time.“For that top-order batting, the way he played in Sydney, against that attack, in those conditions… I saw a player out there, and I’m sure the guy can open. If he can bat three, he can open,” Cook said.He also questioned the value of remaining on the IPL bench during a crucial developmental phase.“(But) it’s not ideal, is it? Bethel really shouldn’t be because he’s not opening. He’s not sitting around doing anything in the IPL. Ideally, he could come back and open for Warwickshire to help England,” he added.Cook’s remarks come amid growing debate about young English players balancing the development of franchise leagues and domestic red balls. Earlier, England opener Ben Duckett also opted out of his contract with Delhi Capitals to focus on county cricket and strengthen his Test ambitions.
