Jacob Bethell was the star of England's victory in the first ODI against the West Indies on May 29 in Birmingham. After England crushed the West Indies by 238 runs in the opening ODI, the Harry Brook era in white-ball cricket has gotten off to a perfect start.

With the aid of eight fours and five sixes, Jacob Bethell scored 82 runs off 53 balls to win the match, earning him the title of Player of the Match. In the given 50 overs, England managed to score 400/8 thanks to this knock.

Jacob Bethell, who was named Player of the Match, attributed his improvement as a player to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and his experience playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.

He also discussed how Virat Kohli shared his experiences with him and how the Indian legend did a fantastic job of imparting his knowledge. The left-handed Bethell scored 67 runs at a strike rate of 171.79 in just two IPL 2025 games.

"I really found that experience very beneficial for my game. I feel like I am a better player now than I was two months before I went to India. Virat Kohli was great with the information and how he goes about his batting," Bethell told Sky Sports Cricket.

"All I had to do was ask, and he was great with that stuff. Obviously, being a part of that tournament was really special. There is a lot of noise around it, so it was great to be a part of it," he added.

Jacob Bethell also talked candidly about what it was like to bat in the top order with Kohli. He claimed to have felt the energy and to have learned how to add intensity to his game going forward.

“I was always going to be in the IPL after I signed that contract. I watched the boys do well from afar and really enjoyed it. Virat was great. He was happy to share lots of advice with me, and Andy Flower was a great coach, too. I felt the energy when I went out to bat with Virat, and that is something I will take into my game, that intensity,” Bethell added.

Meanwhile, in reply to 400 runs, the West Indies was bundled out for 162 runs, with Saqib Mahmood and Jamie Overton taking three wickets each.