04 May,2026 04:22 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell (Pic: AFP)
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are all set to clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2026 match on May 7 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground in Lucknow.
Ahead of the match, RCB's rising star Jacob Bethell spoke about his journey from Barbados to earning a call-up for England.
"I grew up in Barbados, always with a bat and ball. Around 10-12, I started taking it seriously. I moved to England for school, progressed to Warwickshire, and signed my first contract in 2021. A stress fracture set me back, but I came back strong, earned an England call-up, and then arrived in Bengaluru," he said, according to a release.
The left-handed batsman then said that representing RCB made him realise the need to display an aggressive brand of cricket.
"When I got to RCB, I was curious about the experience. Watching Virat, Rajat, and speaking to DK, I realised the game shifts here. It's played at a high tempo; you have to be aggressive and brave," said Bethell.
The 22-year-old batsman then spoke about his experience of batting alongside RCB stalwart Virat Kohli.
"Watching Virat chase, you understand the art of batting, how to control a chase and stay not out. It's about shifting gears based on the situation," he said.
RCB, under the leadership of Rajat Patidar, is in the second position on the points table. They have won six matches and have a net run rate (NRR) of +1.420 and 12 points.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Swapnil Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Phil Salt (WK), Rajat Patidar (C), Nuwan Thushara, Romario Shepherd, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Vicky Ostwal, Mangesh Yadav, Suyash Sharma, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal.
Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Mohammed Shami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Anrich Nortje, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Aiden Markram, Avesh Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Himmar Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Josh Inglis (WK), M Siddharth, Moshin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Arjun Tendulkar, Akash Singh, Abdul Samad, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Mayank Yadav, M Choudhary (WK), Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi.
(With ANI Inputs)
