‘He’s a massive leader within the team’ – Jacob Bethell speaks highly of Virat Kohli in RCB camp

Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell (Source: X)

England all-rounder Jacob Bethell has shared valuable insights on Virat Kohli’s personality within the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) dressing room. The pair played a crucial role in securing the Bengaluru-based franchise’s back-to-back Indian Premier League titles in 2025 and 2026.

Bethell has played only a handful of games for RCB during his two seasons in India, but has opened the innings alongside Kohli each time he was walked out to bat. The left-handed batter appreciated how the Indian superstar is approachable off the field. However, he also applauded Kohli’s ability to switch to his competitive side in an instant.

The England international also commented on Kohli’s leadership within the side despite no longer being the captain.

“Away from cricket and off the field, he’s actually a very chilled individual. You know, great to talk to, great to spend time around. But, it’s just that ability to then flip into that competitive nature in and around cricket or training. His lifestyle is very… Everything is… All the arrows are pointed in high performance, in a way of high performance, right? So he gives himself the best chance. But, yeah, he’s an ultra competitive person. He wasn’t captain, you know, when I was there, but he’s a massive leader within the team,” Jacob Bethell said on The Super Over podcast, via Cricket News.

Bethell played seven matches during RCB’s title-winning 2026 campaign, coming in as a replacement for the injured Phil Salt. Despite showing promise, the left-hander only managed to score 96 runs all season long at a strike-rate of 124.67 whilst averaging under 14.

Kohli, on the other hand, was once again the star of the tournament for RCB with the bat. He hit 675 runs at a strike-rate of 165.84 with multiple crucial innings along the way, including in the final. The right-handed batter scored an unbeaten 75 against the Gujarat Titans in the showpiece match to help his side retain the title.

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