Why did Jacob Bethell miss RCB vs CSK clash of IPL 2026?
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
Jacob Bethell did not play in RCB’s opening game against SRH in IPL 2026.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) aim for their second victory of the tournament against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). The RCB vs CSK clash is taking place at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 5.
RCB clashed with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opener. They restricted SRH for 201/9 in the first innings and later chased down the target like a walk in the park by six wickets. Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli slammed half-centuries to bring the team home within just 16 overs.
On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have lost both of their opening matches. They lost to Rajasthan Royals by 8 wickets in their first game and later lost to Punjab Kings by five wickets. Therefore, they are still looking for their first victory of the season.
In match 11, CSK won the toss and opted to bowl first. Jacob Bethell was not part of RCB’s playing XI once again. He also missed the previous game.
Why is Jacob Bethell not part of RCB’s playing XI vs CSK?
RCB benched Bethell in the clash against CSK. The decision to keep him out of the playing XI is a tactical call by the team. Bethell is finding it difficult to make a place in the playing 11 in the current team combination.
However, he might be picked in the forthcoming games if other batters fail to perform. Notably, Bethell is not suffering from any injuries.
He grabbed a lot of spotlight with his impressive performance in the T20 World Cup 2026 last month. He ended as England’s highest run-scorer with 280 runs in eight games. In the semi-final against India, he hammered his maiden century.
RCB playing XI: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy.
CSK playing XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed.
Is Jacob Bethell part of the RCB vs CSK clash?
No, Bethell is not part of the match.
What is the venue of the RCB vs CSK match?
The venue of the encounter is Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.