Jacob Bethell Reflects on T20 World Cup Exit After Maiden Century
Jacob Bethell has described England's T20 World Cup semi-final defeat by India as 'a tough pill to swallow' after his first century in the format failed to prevent his team's elimination in Thursday's high-scoring match in Mumbai. The 22-year-old's remarkable hundred off just 45 balls was not enough as England fell short in a record-obliterating run-fest.
Rapid Rise to International Stardom
Bethell, who had never scored a senior hundred in any format before breaking into the England team in late 2024, has quickly established himself as a key player. Less than six months after his debut ODI century against South Africa, he became just the fourth Englishman to reach triple figures in all three international formats. This achievement came only a week after Harry Brook's spectacular innings against Pakistan made him the third.
'I always had the self-belief to be able to do it,' Bethell said. 'Me and Brooky were joking about who was going to be the first to get all three. He was like: 'You're batting at three so it's got to be you.' Then he took my spot at three and did it, but I managed to do it at four. Both of us can be very proud of ourselves but at the end of the day his came in a winning cause and mine in a losing cause. He'll always have that up on me.'
Comparing Centuries in Different Formats
Bethell's journey to this milestone includes a debut first-class century during the Ashes Test in Sydney in January, where his second-innings 154 could not stop Australia from securing a five-wicket victory. He took 162 balls to reach triple figures at the SCG, a stark contrast to the 45 balls required in Mumbai. 'They're not comparable, really,' he noted. 'The skills and mental thinking are different, but both feelings are pretty good. But both of them have come in losing causes, which is a weird feeling. Cricket is a cruel game, personal performances don't always solidify into team performances. Both of those are tough pills to swallow but I'm very proud of the way I went about both knocks.'
Optimism Amid Defeat and Future Plans
Despite conceding 253 runs in the semi-final, leaving England with a daunting chase, Bethell revealed that the mood at the innings break remained optimistic. 'That's always the way. Tunes were on, everyone was ready to go out and get the job done.' After a demanding international winter, Bethell now has a brief break before reporting for the Indian Premier League season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Fixtures are expected to be released soon, with RCB likely to host the opening game later this month.
'I've got eight or nine days now to go back and reflect before the IPL,' he said. 'It's been a good winter. The team performances in the white-ball stuff, definitely T20s, are good. This was a tough one to take but I've enjoyed every minute out on the field playing for England. That's all I can really take from it. My game's evolved a lot over the past six or seven months, and I'll look to take that further.'
