Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman Jacob Bethel shared his experience of interacting with Virat Kohli during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Bethel revealed details about their talks on building proper run chases rather than just focusing on modern power-hitting techniques.
Bethel was included in the playing eleven of Royal Challengers Bangalore after opening batsman Phil Salt injured his finger. The left-handed batsman has not made any significant impact with the bat yet. Opening with Virat Kohli, Bethel has scored 39 runs in three matches at an average of 13.00 and a strike rate of 150, with his best score being 20.
key points
- Jacob Bethel shares advice he received from Virat Kohli
- Kohli stressed the importance of proper run-chasing
- Bethel is learning from senior RCB players
I remember a conversation with Virat Kohli – Jacob Bethel
In a video shared by Royal Challengers Bangalore, Jacob Bethel said that Virat Kohli advised him to maintain the art of batting rather than relying only on power hitting. He said that watching Kohli see the pace of the run chase shows how important it is to change gears depending on the situation.
“I remember conversations with Virat about not losing the art of batting. Many players focus on power hitting and specific areas, but the real skill is in chasing correctly. Watching Virat comfortably chase 180 and remain not out reflects that art. It’s not just technical, it’s about changing gears depending on the situation. That’s the biggest thing I learned from him.”
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Spending 5⃣ years in a boarding school, getting called up to play for the Three Lions, being watched by Andy Flower at the U19 World Cup, learning from captain Rajat and Virat – who are the best… pic.twitter.com/ZjnpecSPYN
– Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) 4 May 2026
Virat Kohli is currently the leading run-scorer for Royal Challengers Bangalore in this IPL season. The former Indian captain has scored 379 runs at an average of 379 runs in nine innings. 54.14 more Strike rate 166.50, which included three half-centuries.
My game against spin has improved a lot – Jacob Bethel credits Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar and Dinesh Karthik
Jacob Bethel credited his experienced teammates and coaching staff for improving his game against spin. He said that watching the footwork of Virat Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar as well as discussions with batting consultant Dinesh Karthik helped him make bold choices in matches.
“I think my game against spin has improved a lot by watching Virat and other people like captain Rajat and talking to DK. Your game has to adapt here because it is played at a faster pace. You need to take aggressive options, and that pushes you to be braver.”
I don’t really follow what’s going on on social media – Jacob Bethel
The young batsman said that he did not feel any pressure from the expectations on social media regarding his IPL debut. Bethel said he focused on enjoying the training and discussing tactics and sharing ideas with the Indian players in the dressing room.
“I don’t really look at what’s going on on social media, so I wasn’t aware of any hype. I was just enjoying training. People here love talking about cricket. It happens in England too, but it feels different. Here, it’s more practical and there is more exchange of ideas.”
RCB has won six out of its nine matches and remains a strong contender for the playoffs. Teams usually need around 16 points to qualify. their next match will be Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), who are bottom of the table, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Thursday, May 7.
