England batter Jacob Bethell declared that playing in the Indian Premier League, as part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru setup, has helped him upgrade his all-format batting.

The 22-year-old has played just six matches in his ongoing two-year stint with the 2025 champion and has found a place in the playing eleven this time only due to the injury suffered by compatriot Phil Salt.

Former England captain Alastair Cook had remarked in April that Bethell was better off playing County cricket for Warwickshire rather than warming the benches in the IPL. Kevin Pietersen, who played five seasons in India’s premier T20 tournament, dismissed the claim, adding that rubbing shoulders with the best players would be beneficial to Bethell.

“Everyone thinks differently, but from a personal point of view, I think I’ve made the right decision. This is the marquee tournament of the year, with pretty much all of the best cricketers in the world playing in it,” Bethell told reporters ahead of the IPL 2026 clash against the Mumbai Indians here.

“I definitely don’t think it’s going to hurt my career or stop me from getting better. I think it’s going to do the opposite. Everyone is allowed to think what they want, but at the end of the day, I’m pretty happy with where I am,” he added.

MI batter Sherfane Rutherford stressed the importance of assessing conditions early at the venue, which is hosting an IPL game for the first time since 2016.

“We [the IPL] haven’t played a game here in 10 years. It will be important for batters to see what will be the best area and try to pick it up early. We need to give ourselves the best chance to see what the wicket is doing. We can always make up at the end,” the West Indian middle-order batter said.