Former England captain Alastair Cook and ex-India keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik got into a heated clash of words about Jacob Bethell’s recent IPL 2026 stint with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who went on to win the tournament.

The disagreement stemmed from Bethell's initial lack of playing time, during which Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook encouraged him to go home and be ready for the New Zealand Tests in June. Cook reiterated his earlier call, stating that "warming the bench" was useless.

Notably, Jacob Bethell played 7 games for RCB in IPL 2026, scoring 96 runs at a strike rate of 124.67.

However, RCB batting coach Dinesh Karthik firmly disagreed, stating that Bethell was contractually obligated to remain with the franchise regardless of whether he was in the playing XI.

Karthik also contended that it would be detrimental to franchise commitments to permit players to withdraw midway through a tournament only because they were not chosen.

" You say he was sitting there warming the bench. He has a contract in place with RCB, which he has decided to be part of. How do you dishonor the contract which he has chosen to be part of? How do you dishonor it because he is warming the bench? So, if every player decided to do that - 'If you drop me, I am going back home' - then we will have only 11 players in our environment.

I know he should make a decision. You know Phil Salt is here. I might not play, so I should get back home. Say it not before the season, but before you put your name in the auction. Choose then, and if you get here, decide to play. You can't say, 'Oh, I am not playing, I want to go home,' Karthik said on the Stick to Cricket podcast.

Mo Bobat says he played in Ahmedabad and shared the dressing room with the likes of Virat Kohli and Rashid Khan.

Cook, however, was not persuaded and maintained that franchise cricket should never take precedence over England's objectives.

“Then he came back and did not score any runs in the first two Tests. What I'm saying is, I think this is where it's really important. I'm here for the Test match in a week's time, and one of our No. 3 players is sitting on the bench. I think it's really important that English cricket is more important than the IPL or a franchise. That's what I think, and apparently, I'm not allowed to think it because the IPL is the best tournament in the world,” Cook said.

Cook also questioned whether another season spent largely on the sidelines would aid Bethell's development.

"Jacob Bethell sat on the bench the year before and learnt from all those players. Now he's sitting on the bench again and not playing. I want England to be the most successful side, no disrespect to RCB or any franchise, but England comes first," he added.