England’s 21-year-old batting all-rounder Jacob Bethell has returned home from the IPL 2025 with more than just match experience—he’s got some serious Virat Kohli wisdom under his belt too. After a short stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Bethell immediately impressed on national duty, smashing a 53-ball 82 in the first ODI against West Indies. Bethell, who played just two games for RCB this season and scored 67 runs at a 171.79 strike rate, said it was time well spent thanks to Kohli’s guidance. After his knock against West Indies on Thursday, he spoke about Kohli. “I feel like I am a better player now than I was two months ago before the IPL – Virat Kohli was great as he shared his experience, how he goes about batting in different situations – I learned a lot from him about batting.” For a youngster still making his mark, having one of the greatest of this generation in your corner isn’t a bad deal at all. All I have to do is to ask him(virat ) he is always there for me https://t.co/lGdMiAn66w pic.twitter.com/ao2xHkVVDs — Yashu🇿🇦 (@Lord_Yashu) May 29, 2025 Also READ: Watch: Rohit Sharma turns singer, drops Jonny Bairstow twist ahead of MI vs GT Eliminator From IPL bench to England’s big stage Bethell may have played a limited role at RCB, but it clearly didn’t go to waste. After leaving the IPL for England’s home series against the West Indies, he walked into the first ODI at Birmingham like a seasoned pro. Coming in at No. 6, Bethell launched a counterattack that included 8 fours and 5 sixes, scoring 82 off just 53 balls. His effort helped England post a massive 400/8 in their 50 overs. And with the ball, he even chipped in with a wicket, dismissing Jewel Andrew during West Indies’ eventual collapse for just 162. England won the match by 238 runs, and Bethell’s name was right there among the biggest contributors. Also READ: “We’ll celebrate on June 3!”: Suyash Sharma, Phil Salt reflect on RCB’s dominating win over PBKS Back in IPL 2025, RCB fans got just a glimpse of what Bethell could do. Meanwhile, RCB marched into their 4th IPL final on Thursday after defeating PBKS by eight wickets. They will face the winner of Qualifier Two in the final.