Dinesh Karthik and Alastair Cook - (Source: ScreenGrab)
England’s rising star Jacob Bethell has been at the centre of the news after he injured his knee and pulled out of the ongoing season of The Hundred. Notably, the sixth edition is underway, and Birmingham Phoenix will be without their regular skipper.
Jacob Bethell has had a tremendous rise over the year and has done exceptionally well for England. However, he has not replicated the same for RCB. During IPL 2026, Bethell sat mostly on the bench and only got the opportunity when Phil Salt got injured.
The decision to make Bethell sit on the bench after a brilliant T20 World Cup infuriated many pundits. Alastair Cook was the most vocal and hogged the internet for his controversial remarks.
Alastair Cook’s Remarks That Shook the Internet
During IPL 2026, England also had the County season on, and Cook was furious by the fact that Bethell prioritised IPL over England’s domestic tournament. Hence, he asked the RCB opener to leave the league.
“For that top-order batting, the way he played at Sydney, against that attack, in those conditions…I’ve looked at a player there, and I’m certain this bloke can open. If he can bat three, he can open," Cook remarked.
“(But) it’s not ideal, is it? Bethell shouldn’t really be it because he’s not opening. He’s sitting on his arse at the IPL not doing anything. Ideally, he could come back and open for Warwickshire to help England,” said Alastair Cook on Betfair’s Stick to Cricket podcast.
RCB Management Fires Back At Alastair Cook
In the latest events, RCB director of cricket Mo Bobat and batting coach Dinesh Karthik appeared on the podcast, where they confronted Cook and schooled him for his past remarks.
Here is how the conversation went between the two.
- Bobat: "There was a big fuss kicked up about Bethell, which I think Cooky kicked off first by saying that he should've been here (in England) and not in IPL"
- Cook: "I'm allowed to say my opinion, and I wanted him here in England rather than sitting on his ass"
Also Read: The Hundred Men's 2026 Schedule, Live Streaming, Live Telecast In India, Squads, Venues
- Dinesh Karthik: " Listen, he signed the contract with RCB, so now how can he disrespect that just because he's not in the XI"
- Cook: "What I said is that I want my number 3, going to play a test in two weeks, not sitting on the bench. For me, English cricket is more important, but IPL is the biggest tournament; I'm not allowed to say anything about it"
- Dinesh Karthik: "You said all by means what you wanted to say, which is fair but....."
- Bobat: "We can't blame players for the schedule. Jacob Bethell didn't put a Test two days after IPL final. There are enough administrators in the game who should be under pressure for these schedules, not the players"
Dinesh Karthik, Mo Bobat Turn Up For London Spirits Duties
Notably, the ongoing edition of the Hundred marks a new era in The Hundred. four of the eight teams are owned by IPL franchises. Further, London Spirits have the same management as RCB. The franchise function as sister teams under a shared ownership consortium that includes key figures like Satyan Gajwani.
- Mo Bobat: Appointed as the Director of Cricket for the London Spirit, bringing his strategic expertise from RCB.
- Andy Flower: Serves as the Head Coach for both RCB and the London Spirit
- Dinesh Karthik: Mentor and batting coach of the London Spirit
Also Read: Kavya Maran’s SRH Reveal Reason Behind Signing Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed After Poor Debut
