Romario Shepherd Leads RCB Win After Jacob Bethell’s 14
romario shepherd had little to do with Jacob Bethell’s first 2026 Indian Premier League outing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but the left-hander still produced the day’s sharpest early subplot: 14 runs and an exit in the third over. Bethell had been unused through RCB’s opening six matches before Friday, and his brief return landed amid public debate over whether he should be in the IPL or playing county cricket.
Bethell Faces Siraj
Bethell opened the chase of 206 as an impact player and lasted 10 balls. He struck three fours before Mohammed Siraj drew the edge in effect at point, ending the innings in the third over and leaving RCB to reshape the chase around Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal.
Kohli and Padikkal Drive
That reshaping worked quickly. Kohli scored 81 off 44 balls and Padikkal added 55 off 27 in a decisive second-wicket stand, and RCB reached the target with seven balls to spare.
Gujarat Titans had put up 205-3 after Sai Sudharsan made 100 off 58 balls. Jos Buttler’s 25 off 16 at No 3 added support, but the total still proved short once Kohli and Padikkal took control of the reply.
Cook, Pietersen, Bethell
The off-field argument around Bethell has run alongside his batting. Earlier this week, Sir Alastair Cook urged him to return to Warwickshire and play county cricket instead of sitting on his a*** at the IPL not doing anything.
Kevin Pietersen pushed back hard, writing: “Alastair Cook has absolutely NO IDEA what it's like to be in the IPL... Stay in India, Jacob. I know, even though you're not playing, you're learning and will be a way better player.” Bethell backed that view on the Sky Cricket podcast, saying, “I firmly believe that this is the thing for me to be doing right now,” and adding that he felt better after time around the players in India and the standard of cricket in the IPL.
RCB’s fifth win in seven matches moved them second in the table, while Bethell’s first chance of the season showed why his place in the XI had been debated all week. He got in, scored 14, and was gone before the chase had settled.
