Jacob Bethell credits IPL for handling pressure during the Boxing Day Test

England top-order batter Jacob Bethell, who batted at No.3 in the recently concluded MCG Test in the Ashes 2025-26 campaign, has credited his stint with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with helping him in coping up with pressure.

In the 175-run chase in the fourth innings at the MCG, the 22-year-old Southpaw batter scored a composed 40-run knock to help England win the first Test in Australia since 2011. Notably, Bethell played only two games for RCB in IPL 2025, scoring 55 off 33 against Chennai Super Kings in his second match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

“I was pretty nervous. Not so much with the people, just the occasion, I guess. But I’ve played over in India where it feels like there’s 160,000 people watching. This atmosphere was incredible and it was nice to get a win and contribute. The IPL, I only played two games but every game and every occasion… Definitely, just knowing what I’m able to get out of myself when the situation is like that and when the atmosphere is like that,” Bethell told reporters.

“I definitely had a lot more confidence coming into this game after playing in front of, I don’t know, 50,000 – which felt like 100,000 – at the Chinnaswamy,” he added.

Bethell’s Test comeback turned out to be one of the shortest games of the year, with 20 wickets falling on the first day and 16 on the second day. Unfortunately, Cricket Australia is expected to lose INR 60 Crore after the Boxing Day Ashes 2025-26 Test concluded in only two days.

Speaking about Bethell's Test record, he has played five games, scoring 312 runs at an average of 34.66, accumulating three half-centuries. Moreover, he has pocketed three wickets with the ball in hand.

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