‘Heard no voice so loud’: When Jacob Bethell was overwhelmed by Chinnaswamy’s roar for Virat Kohli | Cricket News

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell (ANI Photo)

Young in England Jacob Bethell opens up about the unforgettable experience of opening the batting partner Virat Kohli at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during his stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), describing an atmosphere unlike anything he had experienced before.Bethell, who joined RCB after being signed in the 2025 IPL mega auction, shared the dressing room with Kohli during the franchise’s back-to-back title-winning campaigns in 2025 and 2026. Although the young all-rounder had a mixed season with the bat, he said the opportunity to walk away with one of the great careers remains fresh.

‘I remember being nervous’

Speaking on YouTube’s Super Over podcast, Bethell admitted that he was overwhelmed with nerves ahead of his first home appearance in Bengaluru.“That was crazy. I remember I was really nervous before. It was my first game in front of the home fans. I was nervous to say the least. But as soon as I fell on the ground, I felt a sense of excitement. I ran drinks for many competitions. Looking at the atmosphere and wanted to get a piece of it,” said Jacob Bethell. “We walked out to bat. I could just hear myself thinking … the place is bouncing, there’s no gap in it. You feel like they’re on top of you. Fortunately, we made a few runs; I scored a few, he scored a few. I remember I hit my second ball for four and I’ve never heard a sound that loud,” he added.

‘Virat is very cold on the field’

Bethell also explained Kohli’s personality away from the spotlight, saying the former RCB captain is much more relaxed than his fiery on-field persona suggests.“Away from cricket and off the field, he is actually a very chilled individual. Great to talk to, good to spend time with. Bethell’s IPL 2026 campaign resulted in 163 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 140.52, but the England all-rounder previously credited Kohli, Rajat Patidar and Dinesh Karthik in a video posted by RCB on their official handle for helping him improve his game, especially against spin, during his time in Bengaluru.