Kevin Pietersen Tells Jacob Bethell To Stay In India For IPL Despite Alastair Cook Criticism

Kevin Pietersen reignited his long-running feud with Alastair Cook by defending Jacob Bethell’s continued presence at the Indian Premier League (IPL), even though Bethell has yet to feature for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in this year’s IPL.

“Kevin Pietersen has rekindled an old feud with Alastair Cook by defending Jacob Bethell's continued presence at the Indian Premier League (IPL)”

BBC

Cook had said on the Stick to Cricket podcast, "He's not doing anything," adding, "Ideally he could come back and open for Warwickshire to help England."

BBC

Pietersen responded by writing on X that "Alastair Cook has absolutely NO IDEA what it's like to be in the IPL," and that "So his opinion on Jacob Bethell doesn't matter at all."

Pietersen urged Bethell: "Stay in India, Jacob. I know, even though you're not playing, you're learning and will be a way better player."

The dispute is rooted in Pietersen and Cook’s past, with the BBC noting they "infamously fell out" over the decision to end Pietersen's England career following the 2013-14 Ashes when Cook was captain.

The BBC also reported that Bethell, after a breakthrough century in the final Ashes Test in January, is "assured of a place in the England XI for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's on 4 June"—four days after the IPL final.

While Bethell’s IPL absence from the RCB line-up has meant he has "not played any cricket since 5 March," Pietersen argued that the IPL’s training environment outweighs time on the county circuit, listing reasons including "By practising with the best players in the world."

The argument over Bethell’s whereabouts is framed by his lack of match action for RCB this season and by how Cook and Pietersen interpret what that means for development.

The BBC reported that Bethell has been "yet to feature for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in this year's IPL," and that his absence from the RCB line-up means he has "not played any cricket since 5 March."

CNA

It added that he has played "only one first-class match for Warwickshire since August 2024," underscoring the county-rhythm question Cook raised.

Multiple outlets put a spotlight on the fact that Bethell is still waiting for an opportunity in the playing XI, with CricTracker stating he is "yet to play a single game for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) this season."

The Sunday Guardian also described Bethell as "unused by Royal Challengers Bengaluru" and said Cook urged him to return to Warwickshire instead of "sitting on his arse at the IPL not doing anything."

In the background of the debate, the Sunday Guardian cited Bethell’s IPL 2025 purchase by RCB for "₹2.60 crore" and said he played "only two matches" in that tournament overall.

Bethell himself defended the decision to stay, telling Sky Sports, "It's something that not many people will understand how cool it is until actually being around a team or the tournament itself when you're here."

Pietersen’s rebuttal is built around the idea that the IPL environment itself—practice, coaching, and proximity to elite players—can compensate for not being selected to play.

“Published-23 Apr 2026, 14:47 IST|Updated-23 Apr 2026, 15:20 IST 2MinRead Former England batterKevin Pietersenhas completely disagreed with Sir Alastair Cook’s advice to Jacob Bethell about leaving the Indian Premier League (IPL) and returning to England to play in the County Championship”

CricTracker

The BBC quoted Pietersen’s reasoning in a detailed list, including "By practising with the best players in the world," "By watching very closely the best players in the world," and "By speaking to the best coaches in the world."

He also argued that Bethell would benefit from "By building life-long friendships with the best players in the world" and from "By acquainting himself with India so that whenever he tours India, it's easier for him."

Pietersen’s stance also included a direct dismissal of Cook’s authority on the grounds that Cook has never played in the IPL, with the BBC noting, "Cook never played at the IPL."

The Sunday Guardian and Global Banking & Finance Review both echoed Pietersen’s X post, quoting him saying, "Alastair Cook has absolutely NO IDEA what it's like to be in the IPL," and repeating, "So his opinion on Jacob Bethell doesn't matter at all."

Those outlets also described Pietersen’s urging of Bethell to remain in India and wait for opportunities, with Global Banking & Finance Review framing it as "Kevin Pietersen urged England batter Jacob Bethell to remain in India and wait for opportunities in the Indian Premier League."

Bethell’s own comments to Sky Sports were used to reinforce the same theme, as he said the tournament makes players "ups their game subconsciously" and that "I feel like that even happens when you're not on the starting XI or even starting XII."

Cook’s counterpoint is that Bethell should return to England and play county cricket to stay in contention, and the BBC and News18 both describe Cook’s reasoning in terms of Bethell’s current inactivity.

The BBC reported that Cook said on the Stick to Cricket podcast, "Ideally he could come back and open for Warwickshire to help England," and it added that Cook is "certain" Bethell could open if required by England.

Flashscore.co.za

News18 similarly quoted Cook’s view that Bethell should be playing county championship instead of IPL, describing Cook’s suggestion that Bethell could be a strong option as a Test opener while speaking on Stick To Cricket.

The BBC also connected the debate to the immediate Test schedule, stating Bethell is "assured of a place" for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s on 4 June, and it noted that this is "four days after the IPL final."

The Guardian Series outlet added that Bethell’s 154 from number three in January at the end of England’s tour of Australia means he should be in the XI for the first Test of the summer against New Zealand, starting on June 4 at Lord’s.

That same outlet described Bethell being linked with moving up to open if England discard Zak Crawley, and it said that could lead to "the in-form James Rew" being selected in the middle-order.

Bethell’s own position on batting order was also included, as the Guardian Series reported he said, "I’d love to stay at three, if it’s up to me," and that he "doesn't think there’s a massive difference between three and the top."

While the core facts of the dispute are consistent—Cook urging Bethell to leave the IPL and Pietersen urging him to stay—outlets frame the conflict with different emphasis and tone.

“Quick Summary Kevin Pietersen has backed England youngster Jacob Bethell to stay in India during the IPL despite criticism from Alastair Cook, highlighting the value of training alongside world-class talent even if not playing regularly”

Global Banking & Finance Review®

The BBC presents it as a rekindled feud, describing Pietersen defending Bethell’s continued presence at the IPL and quoting Cook’s podcast line, "He's not doing anything," before moving to Pietersen’s X response that Cook has "absolutely NO IDEA what it's like to be in the IPL."

Global Banking & Finance Review®

The Guardian Series similarly centers the feud, but it highlights Cook’s blunt phrasing, quoting Cook’s description of Bethell as "sitting on his arse at the IPL not doing anything" and then contrasting it with Pietersen’s insistence that Cook’s opinion "doesn't matter at all."

CricTracker frames the story around Pietersen rebuffing Cook’s advice and adds a second layer by including Pietersen’s claim about county competitiveness, writing, "If county cricket was as strong as it was in the late 90s and early 2000s, I'd also want Bethell back playing it now."

The Sunday Guardian and CNA both describe Pietersen as "shut down" or "backs" Cook’s advice, with the Sunday Guardian explicitly stating that Pietersen urged Bethell to stay despite not getting a game thus far.

Global Banking & Finance Review and CNA both attribute the initial push to Cook’s suggestion that Bethell would be better served returning to England to play county cricket for Warwickshire, while Pietersen dismisses that view by arguing exposure to the IPL environment remains valuable even without immediate game time.

Even when quoting the same X post, the Sunday Guardian and BBC present it in slightly different formatting, with the Sunday Guardian reproducing the line "Alastair Cook has absolutely NO IDEA what it’s like to be in the IPL" and the BBC using "what it's like to be in the IPL."

The immediate stakes in the dispute are tied to Bethell’s availability for England’s summer Test plans and to whether his IPL stay translates into readiness for the first Test against New Zealand.

The BBC said Bethell is "assured of a place" in the England XI for the first Test at Lord’s on 4 June, and it emphasized that the IPL final comes "four days" earlier, placing his IPL experience directly in the run-up to selection.

The Guardian Series similarly connected his Ashes 154 to selection, stating his 154 from number three in January means he should be in the XI for the first Test of the summer against New Zealand starting on June 4 at Lord’s.

Cook’s view, as presented by the BBC and News18, is that Bethell should use the time to play county cricket and open for Warwickshire, with Cook saying, "Ideally he could come back and open for Warwickshire to help England."

Pietersen’s view is that Bethell should remain in India and keep learning around the best players, with his argument that "even though you're not playing, you're learning and will be a way better player."

Bethell’s own comments suggest he expects the IPL environment to provide competitive exposure even without match appearances, telling Sky Sports that "Every nets session, you've got hundreds of eyes on you" and that "You get exposed to a lot of stuff."

The Guardian Series added that Bethell is earning around "£250,000" from his deal and that he defended being at the IPL rather than at Edgbaston, saying, "I firmly believe that this is the thing for me to be doing right now."