The club-versus-country debate has flared up once again, this time over England’s rising star Jacob Bethell and his stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru during IPL 2026.
Former England captain Alastair Cook questioned whether Bethell would have been better served playing county cricket instead of spending much of the IPL on the sidelines, arguing that regular red-ball cricket would have been ideal preparation for England’s three-Test home series against New Zealand in June.
Despite remaining with RCB until the end of its title-winning campaign, Bethell returned home in time to feature in all three Tests against New Zealand.
The left-hander played seven of RCB’s 16 matches during its successful title defence, scoring 96 runs at a strike rate of 124.67.
Cook’s remarks sparked a wider debate, with former England captain Kevin Pietersen taking the opposite view. Pietersen argued that even as a fringe player, Bethell would have benefited from training alongside some of the world’s best cricketers in the IPL.
Now, former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who serves as RCB’s mentor, has also weighed in, firmly backing Bethell’s decision to honour his IPL contract.
Speaking on The Overlap Cricket podcast, Karthik questioned the precedent it would set if players chose to abandon their IPL franchises simply because they were not guaranteed a place in the playing XI.
“You say he was just sitting there, warming the bench. Now, he has a contract with RCB, which he chose to be part of. How do you dishonour that contract because you’re warming the bench?” Karthik said.
Karthik argued that players know the competition for places before signing up for the tournament.
“So if every player decides to do that, ‘If you drop me, I am going back home’... I think you take that decision before you put your name in the auction. You know Phil Salt is there. You might not play. If you still choose to come, then once you’re here, you can’t suddenly say, ‘I’m not playing, I want to go home.’”
Cook, however, stood by his original position, insisting that representing England should always take priority. “What I’m saying is, I think this is where it’s really important. I think it’s really important that English cricket (for me) is more important than the IPL or any franchise,” Cook said.
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Published on Jul 23, 2026