Jacob Bethell has been a topic of conversation ever since Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) acquired him for INR 2.60 crore in the IPL 2025 auction. There was an intense battle between them and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), but RCB finally overcame their offer to take over their services for the next edition.

He proved himself again on his Test debut during the first match between New Zealand and England in Christchurch. Despite having little experience in first-class cricket and no centuries in the red-ball format, England decided to draft him into the Test team and gave him a Test debut.

Although he failed in the first innings, Bethell lived up to his potential in the second innings by scoring a fabulous fifty. He amassed 50 runs off just 37 balls, including eight boundaries and a maximum, at a strike rate of 135.14.

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His knock helped England chase the target of 103 in just 12.3 overs, which is the fewest number of overs needed to chase a 100-plus total in Test cricket. England had a run rate of 8.21 in this innings, their highest in a 100-plus run chase, and Bethell’s knock was vital in helping England write history in Christchurch.

Why did RCB buy Jacob Bethell in the IPL 2025 auction?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru were desperate to get Jacob Bethell during the IPL 2025 auction and chased him with all their might before getting him. The main reason was his superior spin game as Bethell is known for handling spin well and can bat at different speeds against it.

While RCB already had Rajat Patidar as their batsman, they needed another similar option for this role, preferably at number 3. Bethell fits perfectly into that category and his pace of play is also quite good, making him a versatile option. who can hit at number 3 or 4.

There will be a draw between Bethell and Tim David for fourth place overseas. RCB’s three foreign stars will be Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone and Josh Hazlewood.

In the end it will depend on how they want to build their team, but RCB would be happy with a problem of abundance. Jacob Bethell should get a chance at some point in the tournament.

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