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2 min readApr 23, 2026 05:27 PM IST
England's Jacob Bethell plays a shot during the T20 World Cup cricket match between England and Nepal in Mumbai, India, Sunday,Feb. 8, 2026.(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen slammed his ex-colleague Alastair Cook for suggesting that Jacob Bethell should just leave the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and return to England to play county cricket. Bethell, who was bought for Rs 2.6 crore in the IPL 2025 auction, is yet to get a start this season with RCB opting not to tinker with an in-form side. This led to Cook saying that Bethell should just go back to England and open for Warwickshire.
“For that top order batting, the way he played at Sydney, against that attack, in those conditions – I’ve looked at a player there, and I’m certain this bloke can open. If he can bat three, he can open. (But) it’s not ideal, is it? Bethell shouldn’t really be it, because he’s not opening. He’s sitting on his a*** at the IPL, not doing anything. Ideally, he could come back and open for Warwickshire to help England,” Cook had said on the Stick to Cricket podcast.
Reacting to that comment, Pietersen said that Cook doesn’t understand the value of being part of the IPL, urging Bethell to remain in India, emphasising that training and learning alongside top players will benefit his development, even if he isn’t getting match time.
Alastair Cook has absolutely NO IDEA what it’s like to be in the IPL. What’s it’s like to always be around the best players in the world.
So his opinion on Jacob Bethell doesn’t matter at all.
Stay in India, Jacob. I know, even though you’re not playing, you’re learning and…
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) April 23, 2026
“Alastair Cook has absolutely NO IDEA what it’s like to be in the IPL. What’s it like to always be around the best players in the world? So his opinion on Jacob Bethell doesn’t matter at all. Stay in India, Jacob. I know, even though you’re not playing, you’re learning and will be a way better player,” Pietersen wrote in an X post.
Bethell was one of the bright spots for England in the 2026 T20 World Cup, scoring 280 runs in 8 matches, including a blistering 105 off 48 against India in the semifinal match at the Wankhede.
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