Jacob Bethell Debuts in IPL 2024 as Virat Kohli Leads RCB to Win Over Gujarat Titans

Jacob Bethell made his first appearance in the 2026 Indian Premier League season as Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The match, played on April 24, 2026, saw Bethell brought in as an impact substitute following an injury to Phil Salt, opening the batting alongside Virat Kohli. Bethell faced 10 balls, scoring 14 runs with three boundaries before being dismissed by Mohammed Siraj.

Virat Kohli delivered a match-winning innings of 81 runs off 44 balls after being dropped early by Washington Sundar on zero. His innings formed the backbone of RCB’s chase, supported by Devdutt Padikkal’s 55 off 27 balls.

It was ‘electrifying’ to walk out with Virat Kohli at RCB

Jacob Bethell, ESPNcricinfo

RCB chased down Gujarat Titans’ total of 205 for 3, reaching 206 for 5 in 18.5 overs. Sai Sudharsan’s century for Gujarat — 100 off 58 balls — was rendered ineffective as he became the fastest player to reach 2,000 IPL runs, achieving the milestone in just 47 matches.

After Kohli’s dismissal by Jason Holder, RCB required 52 runs from 38 balls. Krunal Pandya finished the chase with an unbeaten 23 off 12 balls, sealing the win with seven balls to spare.

Shubman Gill contributed 32 runs off 24 balls for Gujarat before being dismissed by Suyash Sharma. Earlier in the innings, Gujarat had reached 128 without loss in the 13th over before losing momentum.

The victory moved Royal Challengers Bengaluru to second in the IPL 2026 points table. Bethell’s debut, though brief, was noted as a promising start for the 22-year-old England batter, whose inclusion in the squad had previously been defended by Kevin Pietersen amid criticism over limited playing time.