Bethell — from being a spectator in 2022 to a sizzler in 2026
Masterful hundred: Bethell put on an exhibition at the Wankhede.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
Not many T20 World Cup tales are as remarkable as Jacob Bethell’s.
About three-and-a-half years ago, Bethell, a bubbly boy then, had been among those sent into a frenzy in the Adelaide Oval stands.
After all, England had delivered a statement of dominance to coast to a 10-wicket victory over India in the semifinal of the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup.
Little would he have known that he would one day own the very stage he watched the show on. That too in a few years’ time.
In a clear reflection of his stunning growth, Bethell went from a spectator to a spectacle-creator in a World Cup last-four clash.
In Mumbai on Thursday, Bethell the batter put on an exhibition with a masterful century, a performance which Bethell the fan would have gone gaga over.
The 22-year-old, in an interaction with the ICC ahead of the final-four encounter, had spoken about recreating the magic of 2022.
“Tom Prest (the then under-19 captain) and I were in Australia and watched the semifinal live. That feeling was surreal… seeing the men get over the line. Hopefully, we can replicate it,” Bethell had said.
The left-hander made the Indians, including common members of the 2022 and 2026 batches (Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh), hold their breath during the magnificent chase.
Though England fell agonisingly short, Bethell’s knock will be etched in memory.
Published – March 06, 2026 07:09 pm IST
