former england captain Alastair Cook Advice for young batsmen Jacob Bethel Should seriously consider shortening his indian premier league After a spell with Royal Challengers Bangalore and a return to county cricket with Warwickshire, he feels the youngster lost valuable development time on the bench.Bethel impressed in the just-concluded 2026 T20 World Cup, where he performed brilliantly in the semi-finals against India, scoring a century off just 45 balls. That innings remains one of the fastest centuries in the history of the tournament and firmly announced his arrival on the global stage.However, despite the momentum, Besser is yet to play a single match for RCB in the 2026 IPL season. Franchising relies on overseas options, e.g. Phil Salter, Tim DavidRomario Shepherd and Josh Hazlewoodthe young left-hander found himself left out of the starting lineup.Cook believes the situation is far from ideal for players at this stage of their careers. Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, he said Bethell’s top-order ability was already evident and needed consistent game time to back it up.“For top-order batting, the way he played in Sydney, in that situation against that attack… I looked at a player there and I’m sure this guy can open up. If he can hit three balls, he can open up,” Cook said.He also questioned the value of staying on the IPL bench during the crucial development phase.“(But) it’s not ideal, isn’t it? Bethel shouldn’t be like this because he’s not opening. He’s sitting in the IPL and doing nothing. Ideally, he could come back and open for Warwickshire and help England,” he added.Cook’s comments come amid a growing debate over how England’s young players can balance the development of franchise leagues and domestic red-ball football. Earlier, England opener Ben Duckett also opted out of his contract with Delhi Capitals to focus on county cricket and boost his Test ambitions.
