England star Jacob Bethell has joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of the IPL 2025 season opener. Recently, Bethell suffered a hamstring injury after being named in the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy during England's tour of India. However, he has fully recovered and arrived in Bengaluru ahead of the IPL 2025.
Despite concerns that he might miss a few matches for RCB at the beginning of the season due to his injury, Bethell made a stylish entrance, dispelling any rumors about his fitness.
Bethell is known for being a consistent hitter of the ball and can adapt to various playing conditions, making him an excellent acquisition for RCB during the auction.Â
In his 10 T20 International matches to date, Bethell has scored 196 runs in nine innings, averaging 32.66 with a strike rate of 147.36, including two half-centuries. His highest score is an unbeaten 62. However, his recent performances in the T20I series against India—where he scored 10, 6, and 7—limited his game time leading up to the IPL.
Across all T20 cricket, Bethell has accumulated 1,127 runs in 63 matches and 57 innings, with an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 136.77, along with seven half-centuries, his highest being 87. Additionally, he has taken 11 wickets at an average of 26.90 through his effective spin bowling, with best bowling figures of 2/5.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad IPL 2025
Batters: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara
Wicket-Keepers: Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma
All-Rounders: Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell
Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma
RCB will face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the season opener of IPL 2025 on March 22, 2025, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.