Jacob Bethell's Explosive Form: A Big Boost for RCB in IPL 2025

The 2024-25 Major Bash League (BBL) is happening today in Australia, and everyone's discussing this young English player. His name's Jacob Bethell, and he's becoming well-known for some amazing batting. Mister Bethell's playing for the Melbourne Renegades and amazed people by hitting 87 runs off only 50 balls when they played against the Hobart Hurricanes at Bellerive Oval.Because of how amazing he played, fans of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are extremely happy. Jacob's supposed to start playing for RCB in the IPL 2025, and this great performance in the BBL is clearly a small look at the very incredible things he'll probably do there.

In the match between Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes, Jacob Bethell played a blistering knock, scoring 87 runs off 50 deliveries. His innings, laced with 8 boundaries and 4 towering sixes, came at an impressive strike rate of 174. Thanks to his brilliant batting, the Renegades managed to post a competitive total of 154/7 in 20 overs. While his team ultimately fell short in the match, Bethell’s performance stood out as a highlight of the game.

JACOB BETHELL SMASHED 87 (50) IN THE BBL. 🔥

- He's part of RCB for IPL 2025. 🫡pic.twitter.com/KfYKDtRUBN

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 14, 2025

Bethell’s Growing International Reputation

Ordinarily it seems Royal Challengers Bangalore obtained big by grasping Jacob Bethell for ₹2.60 crore at the IPL 2025 player auction. Everyone is excited because he's supposed to fill the spots left by Glenn Maxwell and Will Jacks since RCB didn't keep them after the IPL 2024. With no IPL championships yet, RCB is strongly relying on Bethell to change that.

Since his debut for England in September 2024, Bethell has been performing well on the international scene. His batting can fit in anywhere, top or middle, and his ability to close out innings is exactly what RCB needs. His T20I strike rate is a surprising 167.96, which means he obtains inordinately quickly. In addition he's shown he can stay spectacular till the end, hitting two unbeaten 50s against the West Indies in a five-match series. Jacob Bethell coming to the team must make everyone at Royal Challengers Bangalore think this could be the time they win.

ALSO READ: Sanju Samson Likely to Miss Out on Champions Trophy 2025 Squad

In his short international career, Bethell has played:

3 Tests: 260 runs, including 3 half-centuries.

8 ODIs: 167 runs, including a half-century.

7 T20Is: 173 runs, with 2 half-centuries.

What Bethell Brings to RCB

RCB picking Jacob Bethell to join their team is a surprise because they usually go for really experienced players. But now, they're focusing on young talent. Bethell's not simply any player, though he's got an amazing manner of hitting the ball hard and can play in different spots, which gives RCB several options on how to set up their team.

In addition, he's proficient at keeping calm and scoring important runs when the team needs it most, so he'll fit right in with the major names on the team. Everyone cheering for RCB is very, very hopeful about what's to come in the next IPL season with Bethell wearing the red and gold. The team really wants to win the championship, and all eyes are going to be on Bethell to see what he can do.If he plays just as well as he did in the BBL, he might (simply) be the secret weapon RCB needs.

Jacob Bethell’s rise in the cricketing world is a testament to his talent and determination. His maiden BBL half-century serves as a preview of his potential to shine on the biggest T20 stage. As IPL 2025 approaches, all eyes will be on this young English all-rounder to deliver for RCB and help them claim their first-ever IPL trophy.

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 draft happened in Lahore on Monday, January 13. This is the place where teams picked well-known cricket players such as Kane Williamson and David Warner. The dates for the tournament are from April 8 to May 19, and it's happening at the same time as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

Tournament Details of PSL 2025

PSL 2025 Draft Format:

• Platinum Category: Reduced to two picks per team (previously three).
• Diamond Category: Reduced to one pick per team (previously three).
• Gold Category: Adjusted to two picks per team.
• Silver Category: Adjusted to three picks per team

Full Squads of PSL 2025

Quetta Gladiators

Karachi Kings

Islamabad United

Multan Sultans

Peshawar Zalmi

Lahore Qalandars

ALSO READ: Kane Williamson Joins Karachi Kings in Supplementary Round, Reunites with David Warner

Lahore Qalandars

Key players: Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Daryl Mitchell, Sikandar Raza.

Peshawar Zalmi

Key players: Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Alzarri Joseph, Najibullah Zadran.

Multan Sultans

Key players: Mohammad Rizwan, Chris Jordan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Josh Little, David Willey.

Islamabad United

Key players: Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, Jason Holder, Colin Munro, Rassie van der Dussen.

Karachi Kings

Key players: David Warner, Kane Williamson, Adam Milne, James Vince, Litton Das.

Quetta Gladiators

Key players: Rilee Rossouw, Finn Allen, Mohammad Amir, Kyle Jamieson, Sean Abbott.

Full Schedule of PSL 2025

PSL 2025 Playoff and Eliminator Schedule

Timing of PSL 10 2025 Matches

The PCB has changed the HBL PSL 10 schedule for 2025, so it works better for fans and players. They have really considered Ramadan, which is an important issue in Pakistan. To make sure everyone has time for iftar during Ramadan, the games will start later at 9:00 PM.

Normally though, the first game is on April 8, and it begins at 7:00 PM, but they'll do the coin toss at 6:30 PM. This shows the PCB is trying to keep the tournament respectful of cultural and religious customs.

Kane Williamson, a player widely regarded as one of the finest cricketers of the modern era, shares the prestigious "Fab Four" status alongside Virat Kohli, Steven Smith, and Joe Root. This elite group represents players who are considered masters across all formats of the game, combining technique, composure, and adaptability. Despite this unparalleled recognition, Williamson was shockingly left unsold in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 Player Draft, even in the platinum category.

🚨 KANE WILLIAMSON - UNSOLD IN IPL AUCTION AND PSL DRAFT. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/yDyKw0s2zf

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 13, 2025

This surprising outcome follows his unsold status in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, marking the second major T20 league where the modern-day great failed to attract buyers. For a cricketer of Williamson's caliber, this development is unexpected and has sparked debate among fans and experts alike about how such a consistent and versatile performer could be overlooked.

Read Also: PCB Changes PSL 2025 Draft Date, Venue, and Tournament Schedule: Full Details Inside

Known for his success across formats, Williamson has earned admiration for his ability to anchor innings and deliver under pressure. While some speculate that his T20 strike rate might be a factor behind his unsold status, Williamson has repeatedly proven his value as a stabilizer and a match-winner. His numbers and performances in the shortest format are far from ordinary, showcasing his role as a vital contributor to any team.

Currently playing in the SA20 league for the Durban Super Giants, Williamson recently delivered a brilliant half-century in his opening match, scoring 60 runs off 40 balls. This performance served as a reminder of his ongoing relevance and ability to excel in T20 cricket.

Earlier in the year, Williamson recovered from an injury sustained during the India series and returned to form with impressive performances in New Zealand’s home Test matches against England.

Read Also: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Williamson returns New Zealand squad under Santner's leadership

Kane Williamson went unpicked in the PSL 2025 draft, following his earlier failure to secure a contract in the IPL 2025 auction, where he also went unsold. The 35-year-old, who is New Zealand's second-highest run-scorer in T20 internationals with 2,575 runs in 93 matches, has faced challenges due to his relatively low T20 career strike rate of 123. Despite his impressive record, Williamson’s traditional batting style seems to be hindering his appeal in fast-paced T20 cricket.

The year 2025, has started off with very worrisome news. Just when we thought that the worst of COVID-19 pandemic was over, a new virus from China emerged that has already claimed the lives of countless souls in China. The cases of Human metapneumovirus also referred to as HMPV, were first reported in China last year in December.

It is believed that the Covid-like virus has triggered a state of panic in China. Hospitals have been overwhelmed by a large influx of patients and reports have hinted that many people have also succumbed to this infectious virus with the crematories fast running out of space. Some even speculate that the situation in China has turned so dire that the authorities have enforced lockdowns in certain areas to contain the spread of the disease. However, there is currently no evidence to back such claims but such disturbing news is enough to send shivers down the spine of anyone.

See also: Sydney Test cricket history: Fourth innings records

Will IPL 2025 suffer due to HMPV?

Ever since India reported its first case of HMPV in Bengaluru on January 6, 2025, the authorities have gone on full alert. Although the health institutions insist that the situation at present appears to be under control, measures are being taken by them to actively monitor the advancement of this disease. This shocking development rewinds the clock to 2020 when India was grappling with an unprecedented wave of COVID-19. Five years on, the scares of the Covid outbreak are still fresh in the minds and memories of many people today.

India was among the worst-affected nations from Covid. From cricket to the Indian economy, the disease heavily impacted all spheres of life. HMPV exhibits similar attributes to COVID-19 and a repeat of the 2020 pandemic could surely take the upcoming IPL season out of action. At the time of the first Covid wave, the entire world went into a state of lockdown. This had negative consequences on IPL too and the entire 2020 edition had to be hosted outside of India during the month of September and October when the virus subsided globally. 

However, just before the second wave struck us in 2021, the BCCI made an attempt to host the IPL in India with limited audience capacity. But as soon as the virus escalated, the authorities were left with no option but to terminate the tournament mid-way as many cricketers started contracting the infectious disease. 

Following the emergence of the first HMPV case in India, the health authorities along with the Indian government are keeping a close eye on this evolving situation. The government assures the citizens not to hit the panic button yet as the disease is in its infancy stage and can be contained swiftly by introducing preventive measures in place. As far as IPL's fate is concerned, there haven't been any changes or deviations from the original schedule and the entire tournament is set to take place in India starting tentatively on March 13, 2025. However, a rapid surge of this disease may compel the authorities to either shift the entire tournament to UAE or temporarily suspend it until further notice.

More about the HMPV virus

HMPV was first recognized in 2001 and is classified within the Pneumoviridae family, which is closely associated with the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). This virus generally leads to mild upper respiratory symptoms, including cough, nasal discharge, and throat discomfort. The virus has been closely linked to a respiratory illness with symptoms similar to a flu just like COVID-19.  China has downplayed the outbreak of HMPV despite numerous social media posts claiming its health system to be overwhelmed due to this disease.

Jake Fraser-McGurk: Young Opener Faces Challenges After a Brilliant Start

Jake Fraser-McGurk started off playing really good for the Delhi Capitals (DC) as their opening batsman and everyone thought he was amazing but now, after his first season, which everyone thought was very great, he's been having a hard time. Fraser-McGurk's been getting out early a lot and you can tell he's very upset about it.

A Stellar IPL Season Followed by BBL Trials

In just nine innings, Fraser-McGurk scored a whopping 330 runs while playing in the IPL, which was really amazing. He hit the ball very quickly and many times, ending up with a strike rate of 234.04, that he quickly became known as a very exciting new player in Indian cricket. The Delhi Capitals definitely noticed how well he was playing because they ended up getting him for ₹9 crore at the auction.

They even used their Right to Match (RTM) card to make sure they secured him.

Fraser-McGurk has been finding it tough to make large scores from promising starts in the Major Bash League (BBL) for the 2024-25 season, which is very unlike how well he did in the IPL. Because of this, people are watching carefully and criticizing his performance a lot.

Brendan Doggett gets the danger man in McGurk! 🔥

He looks in great touch here at Marvel! #BBL14 pic.twitter.com/WxB8hXcDJc

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 2, 2025

Visible Frustration on the Field

At a BBL game not too long ago, Fraser-McGurk got out in a very sad way against the Adelaide Strikers. He only scored one run from three balls, which really smells bad. Then he hit Brendan Doggett's ball right to wicketkeeper Ollie Pope and that was it for him. As he was heading from the field, you could see he was upset, especially when he pushed his bat down.That just showed everyone he's not happy with how he's playing these days.

Such reactions are unusual for a player who once showcased such explosive talent, and it highlights the mental toll that cricket can take on athletes, especially when expectations are high.

ALSO READ:Beau Webster Makes Debut in Australia's Final XI for 5th Test

Implications for Delhi Capitals

The Delhi Capitals really trusted Fraser-McGurk's skills but he's been going through some hard days. He needs to refine back his approach soon, especially with the IPL 2024 season coming up. It's vitally important for the team that he starts doing well again because they're counting on him.

The drop in form not only puts immediate pressure on Fraser-McGurk but also raises questions about the team's dynamic opening partnership plans. Cricket is known for its unpredictability, and even the most gifted players can experience abrupt declines in performance.

As per growing speculation, Mumbai's Ranji Trophy captain Ajinkya Rahane has emerged as a potential candidate to lead the KKR franchise in the IPL 2025 season. The 36-year-old was omitted from the leadership position from his domestic Mumbai side in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. 

However, given his experience at the highest level, Rahane's leadership capabilities are still held in high regard.

See also: Suryakumar Yadav ready to play in SMAT and Vijay Hazare Trophy

Speculation around Rahane leading the Kolkata Knight Riders

Rahane was bought by the KKR for an impressive amount of Rs 1.5 crore in the Jeddah mega-auction. From what we understand from a source in TOI, Rahane is being considered over Venkatesh Iyer as a viable captaincy candidate for the three-time IPL champions. 

"Yes, at the moment it's 90% confirmed that Ajinkya will be the new KKR captain. He was bought by KKR specifically for the purpose of being a viable captaincy option."

If this development becomes a reality, then it would surely be seen as a surprising move from the Shahrukh Khan-owned KKR since the franchise was vying to appoint the all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer as a captain initially who was bought for a whopping Rs 23.75 crore in the mega auction.

Rahane was previously removed as the Mumbai captain in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament as the MCA preferred to have the in-form Shreyas Iyer for the job instead. However, it will be an ironic turnaround for Rahane if he becomes the captain of KKR, and while doing so he will replace Shreyas in the process who led the Kolkata-based outfit to the title last year. 

Rahane is no longer a part of the Indian setup across formats but under his leadership, the national side went on to achieve some significant milestones that are still etched in the chapters of India's glorious cricket history. 

Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has launched a scathing attack on the five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and also mounted serious accusations of potential auction-fixing charges against former BCCI president N. Srinivasan.

Lalit revealed that the moment he started unraveling his infamous fixing plot, Srinivasan had reportedly turned against him. At present, Lalit has leveled two serious allegations against Srinivasan. 

His first allegation centers around Srinivasan's alleged role in influencing the 2009 mega-auction in which he pressured the other franchises to keep away from Andrew Flintoff. And in his second allegation, Lalit exposes how Srinivasan attempted to influence the outcome of the game in his side's favor by appointing Chennai-based umpires.

Lalit Modi gifts Andrew Flintoff To N Srinivasan (CSK)

In a recent interview, Lalit highlighted how the former BCCI secretary played a key role in manipulating the auction to ensure Andrew Flintoff was picked by CSK only. At Srinivasan's request, Modi confessed that he had advised the other teams secretly not to pick Freddie Flintoff. 

"Pick out everything—auction rigging. I gave Flintoff to Srinivasan. No doubts about it; every team knew about it. Srinivasan wasn’t going to let the IPL happen. He was a thorn in our Board. Yes, we told everybody not to pick ‘Flintoff.’ Yes, that I did—because Srinivasan said he wanted it."

See also: Youngest IPL signee Vaibhav Suryavanshi lands in serious controversy

Manipulation plot to appoint Chennai umpires for home games

If that wasn't enough, Srinivasan went a step further to interfere in yet another aspect of the game. He tried to have Chennai-based umpires officiate the home games for CSK so as to ensure that the critical decisions go in his team's favor. Modi labeled this move as "indirect fixing" in his recent interview and spoke at length on how Srinivasan turned out to be a thorn in his side during the formative years of the cash-rich league.

"At first, I didn’t think much about it. But when I realized he was putting a Chennai umpire on a Chennai game, it became an issue for me. That’s called indirect fixing. When I started exposing those things, he went totally against me. When everybody started going back-to-back, he was also a member of the board. He was a big adversary of mine. I went up against him, and he did many things. Umpire fixing—he accused me of it, and I accused him right back. He would change the umpire."

CSK is one of the most successful teams in the IPL with five title under their belt. Under Dhoni's flamboyant and esteemed leardership the Chennai-based outfit soared to new heights. However, the franchise did come under fire when the world first became aware of its role in match-fixing and was subsequently banned as a result for two years in 2016 and 2017. 

Legendary New Zealand captain and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming and former Indian captain and head coach Rahul Dravid revealed the same name when asked about the top pick of one player from the past to participate in the IPL auction.

Jeddah is hosting the two-day mega auctions for the IPL 2025. The opening day experienced some record signings. 

Watch: Jasprit Bumrah gets a special name from Aussie commentators

Fleming and Dravid revealed their choices

Recently, the present IPL coaches were asked about their top choices for one player from the past to participate in the IPL auction. While the Rajasthan Royals’ new head coach Rahul Dravid named some big players, one of his names matched with the CSK head coach Stephen Fleming. 

Dravid and Fleming named former Indian and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Suresh Raina as their top pick if one player from the past to participate in the IPL auction. 

Q: If you could bring back one player from the past to participate in the IPL auction, who would be your top pick?

Fleming : It’s Suresh Raina

Rahul Dravid : Suresh Raina he is a phenomenal player 🐯#SureshRaina | @ImRaina | #Whistlepodu pic.twitter.com/siWw3RkJ35

— SHANNU 🇮🇳 (@Shannu39) November 24, 2024

IPL Legend: Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina is a familiar name in the Indian Premier League who ended his career as a legendary cricketer. The left-handed batter previously held the record for most runs in the IPL for a long time. He was the first batter in IPL history to score 5000 runs. 

Apart from the 2016 and 2017 seasons, where the CSK were suspended along with Rajasthan Royals (RR) for two seasons, Raina served for the Yellow Army. In the IPL 2016 and 2017 seasons, Raina served for the now-defunct Gujarat Lions. He ended his IPL career with 5528 runs in 205 matches with an average of 32.51 and a strike rate of 136.73 with one century and 39 half-centuries. 

Raina also scored 842 runs in 24 matches for the CSK in the now-defunct Champions League T20 (CLT20) with the help of one century and five half-centuries. He was the first Indian to record a century in the CLT20.

Despite last time playing in 2021, Raina still holds the record for most runs by a CSK batter with 5529 runs in 200 matches (average 33.10 and strike rate 138.91), including two centuries and 38 half-centuries. 

Moreover, Raina took 110 catches for CSK and 109 catches in his IPL career. Currently, he is the record holder for the most catches for CSK and second most catches in the IPL history. 

As all the Indian Premier League teams officially announced their player retentions on Thursday, a clearer picture has come ahead of the 2025 auction. While 46 players were retained by the 10 teams, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals used up the full quota of six retentions as well.

Notably, Punjab Kings retained the least number of players, with two uncapped players. Hence, they will go into the IPL 2025 auction with the biggest purse among all teams as well. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals will go into the auction with just Rs. 41 crore left after having retained six players, including five capped players as well.

IPL 2025 Auction Purse