“I wanted to be better than last year,’’ says the youngster. ‘’Whether you play a few games or many, it’s about hunger. This is the marquee tournament, if you don’t improve here, when will you?” he says. ‘’When I got to RCB first, I was curious about the experience. Watching Virat, Rajat (Patidar) and speaking to DK (Dinesh Karthik), I realised the game shifts here. It’s played at a high tempo; you have to be aggressive and brave,’’ said Bethell, who has whipped up a strike rate of 171-plus in IPL.
The fans in India, according to him are hands-on and can be extremely demanding. “Walking out with Virat, hearing the crowd, it was loud. You have to stay completely switched on,” remarked Bethell, who had been a Warwickshire man since 2021. “People here love talking about cricket. It’s more hands-on with more information shared. The passion and volume of cricket at a young age is incredible.”
Asked to share his comments about the coaching group in RCB, Bethell remarked: “Andy (Flower) observes and speaks only when needed; you listen when he does. DK is excellent at spotting things and identifying scoring areas quickly.”
Flower, a former England coach, underlined Bethell’s potential when he said: “My first sight of Bethell was in the Under-19 World Cup, a very talented batsman with real flair. We targeted him straight away. He’s got a mature cricketing brain and won’t be cowed or bullied by anyone, which is a trait you see in top players.