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After being acquired by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) auction, England all-rounder Jacob Bethell recently stated that he is excited to meet great India batter Virat Kohli at the team's stadium. Notably, Bethell entered the auction with a base price of INR 1.25 crore, and three teams—Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), RCB, and Punjab Kings (PBKS)—showed interest in signing him.
However, RCB was the team that successfully bid INR 2.60 crore to sign the future England star. The 21-year-old recently talked about how he was signed by one of the best IPL teams and said how eager he is to meet Virat Kohli, who referred to him as the "king."
Bethell on Kohli
"It's a bit of a given, isn't it? Virat! He's a great of the game so... King Kohli. Any kind of overseas player that's gone over there has come back with a wealth of experience," Bethell said on ESPNCricinfo.
In his recent Test debut against New Zealand, Bethell helped England reach the mark of 104 in just 12.4 overs with an undefeated quickfire half-century off 37 balls. The 21-year-old hit eight fours and a six throughout his knock, recording the second-highest strike rate with a score of 135.13.
England accomplished the fastest chase of more than 100 runs in the fourth innings thanks to his innings. Bethell has also represented England in seven T20Is and scored 173 runs with an astonishing average of 57.66 and a strike rate of 167.96 which also includes two half-centuries. The young player has also played 8 ODIs and amassed 167 runs at a strike rate of 80.28 and an average of 27.23, including a single half-century.
As a result, in the forthcoming season, Bethell's bold strokeplay will be seen bolstering RCB's hitting lineup. In addition to him, RCB also acquired English players Liam Livingstone (8.75 crore) and Philip Salt (11.50 crore).
