Jacob Bethell nearly did a miracle for England in the semi-final game against India. The left-hand batter lay flat on the pitch with his face down when he was run out on the first ball of the 20th over. The whole Wankhede stadium started celebrating the run out of Bethell as it was impossible for the next players to match the required run rate.
Until he was at the crease, England were in the chase. During his stay at the crease, the 22-year-old batter showed why everyone rates him so highly. He has been on the radar of every cricket fan or expert ever since he made his debut in 2024.
In the 2025 IPL auction, Royal Challengers Bengaluru got him for 2.6 crore. With that pick, he became the youngest overseas player to play in the IPL at 21.
During the England game, Bethell came to the crease when they were in a tricky situation at 38/2. It was a full house at Wankhede, and the crowd was chanting slogans on top of their lungs. Many players would have collapsed considering the stage and pressure, but Bethell performed against all odds.
He rose to the occasion and gave England a fighting chance in high scoring semi-final of a World Cup. England skipper Harry Brook was all praise for the young talent. He said he would like to play with Bethell for a long time.
“In a high-pressure situation, the way he played that innings was just phenomenal,” said Brook. “He was in his own bubble, and it’s an amazing feeling (when that happens). You feel like you could hit nearly every ball for six, and it was one of those innings tonight that he’s pulled off. It was a ridiculous knock. He should be extremely proud of what he has done tonight.”
His knock against India made him the first player to score his maiden first-class, List-A, and T20 century at the international level. All these have come in the past few months.
“I think they’re not comparable (Test ton in Sydney and T20I one in Mumbai). The skills and the mental thinking are different between the two, but both have come in a losing cause. It’s a weird feeling,” said Bethell. “Cricket is a cruel game, as personal performances don’t always solidify into team performances. Both of those are tough pills to swallow, but I’m very proud of both and the way I went about both knocks.”
Brendon McCullum and the team were criticized for the inclusion of Bethell in the English squad, as he had not scored a century at the domestic level.
“I have never really looked at the chat around that stuff (no century in domestic cricket). I always had the self-belief to be able to do it and now that it’s been done, hopefully I can just add to the tally in all three formats.” This is what Bethell said after becoming the only third English player to score a century in all formats of the game.
