"No doubt having breakfast with Virat Kohli" - Ex-England captain's stunning remark on Jacob Bethell amid his IPL 2025 stint

Former England skipper Michael Atherton has made a stunning remark on Jacob Bethell amid the all-rounder's IPL 2025 stint with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Atherton suggested that he doesn't mind the youngster even having breakfast with Virat Kohli. However, he said that the southpaw should have played the one-off Test against Zimbabwe due to being a contracted player.

Bethell returned ahead of England's ODI series against the West Indies. However, he missed the historic four-day Test against Zimbabwe due to his IPL 2025 commitments. However, the 21-year-old didn't play a game in the IPL after it resumed following a one-week suspension. The youngster opened the batting with Kohli for RCB in the two games he played this year.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Atherton took a shot at Nasser over the latter saying Bethell was 'learning' from Kohli in the IPL and elaborated:

"You will argue because you've got a billion followers in India that you'd like to keep on the right side of. He's learning a lot in IPL, he's learning a lot with Virat Kohli. He was no doubt having breakfast with Virat Kohli... great! But when it's time to play, come play as a centrally contracted player."

The 57-year-old opined that he would have brought the youngster back into the England setup had he been the administrator

"I take you back to three podcasts, when we were talking about what the team should be for the Zimbabwe Test match. I said, bring him back from the IPL. It's an international match. He's a centrally contracted player, bring him back from the IPL. I'm not saying it in hindsight here. That's exactly what I would've done."

The spin-bowling all-rounder flourished in the opening ODI against the West Indies in Birmingham, hitting 82 off 53 deliveries to propel England to 400 in 50 overs. He also took a wicket as the hosts won by 238 runs.

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"He’s got a certain intensity with him" - Jacob Bethell on Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli. (Image Credits: Getty)

Following the first ODI against the West Indies, Bethell was full of praise for Kohli. He claimed that the Indian superstar has an aura about him and catches the intensity after stepping onto the field. The Barbados-born cricketer said, as quoted by The Guardian:

"I think [Kohli] quite enjoys the overseas boys because we’re just pretty chilled around him, but yeah, he’s definitely got whatever they say nowadays: ‘aura’. It’s pretty electrifying to walk out with him. He’s got a certain intensity with him, he flips that switch on as soon as he crosses that line, which is pretty cool to see."

RCB, meanwhile, have reached the final of IPL 2025.