Bengaluru, March 26 – England's young batter, Jacob Bethell, has expressed admiration for the passionate fan base of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), revealing that he could hear chants for the team even during a tense moment in the 2026 T20 World Cup semifinal against India at the Wankhede Stadium.
Bethell, who represents RCB, said the chants stood out during a quiet phase in the stadium when England were aggressively pursuing their target. "I definitely heard a few RCB chants when the entire Wankhede was silent, which, I found remarkable. It just shows the level of support," he said in a video shared by the franchise on X.
The 22-year-old produced a sensational innings in the semifinal, scoring 105 off just 48 deliveries and bringing England close to victory. However, despite his efforts, England fell short by seven runs.
Reflecting on the innings, Bethell said that while he enjoyed the innings, the result left him with mixed emotions. "I wouldn't say my life changed, you know. I saw a few edits floating around and you know, the fans here have been getting very creative with their digital content," he said.
"That innings was great, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was still a bit bittersweet, you know, not getting over the line. I'm sure you guys were pretty happy that I didn't manage to get it over the line," he added.
His England teammate and fellow RCB player, Phil Salt, also praised Bethell's performance despite the defeat. "Although we came out on the wrong side of that, I was really pleased for Beth. The way that he carried himself and the way that he played was impressive," he said.
Bethell is expected to play a key role for RCB in IPL 2026, with the franchise set to begin its campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.