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Former England captain Alastair Cook has suggested that young batter Jacob Bethell should seriously consider cutting short his Indian Premier League stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru and return to county cricket with Warwickshire, arguing that the youngster is losing valuable development time on the bench.Bethell, who impressed heavily during the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026, had produced a standout performance in the semi-final against India, smashing a century off just 45 balls. That innings remains one of the fastest centuries in the tournament’s history and firmly announced his arrival on the global stage.
However, despite that momentum, Bethell is yet to feature in a single match for RCB this IPL 2026 season. With the franchise relying on overseas options such as Phil Salt, Tim David, Romario Shepherd and Josh Hazlewood, the young left-hander has found himself outside the playing XI.Cook believes that situation is far from ideal for a player at this stage of his career. Speaking on Stick to Cricket podcast, he said Bethell’s ability at the top of the order is already evident and needs to be backed with consistent game time.“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,” Cook said.He also questioned the value of remaining on the IPL bench during a crucial development phase.“(But) it’s not ideal, is it? Bethell shouldn’t really be it because he’s not opening. He’s sitting at the IPL not doing anything. Ideally, he could come back and open for Warwickshire to help England,” he added.Cook’s remarks come in the backdrop of growing debate around young English players balancing franchise leagues and domestic red-ball development. Earlier, England opener Ben Duckett had also opted out of a contract with Delhi Capitals to focus on county cricket and strengthen his Test ambitions.
