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Jacob Bethell made headlines just a few weeks back when he scored a fantastic 45-ball century against India during the T20 World Cup semi-finals held at Wankhede Stadium.
Despite England coming so close to winning the match, Bethell showed through this remarkable performance that he has a place in the biggest games of cricket by batting with such aggression against Indian spin bowlers.
Ashwin claims that Bangalore's overseas department is superior to all other IPL teams this season. They will suffer greatly with Josh Hazlewood's absence. Bangalore will therefore continue to start both Phil Salt and Bethell. Ashwin remarked,
"Phil Salt, Bethell, Tim David and Romario Shepherd, maybe these four foreigners will be in their starting XI. The best overseas department in the competition." Ashwin said.
Also Read: "No One is Scared!" — Ravichandran Ashwin Drops a Bombshell on KKR’s 2026 Title Hopes
The ₹7 Crore Gamble: Why No Venkatesh Iyer?
The decision to leave out Venkatesh Iyer from Ashwins XI has started debate. Iyer was selected for 7 crore in the big auction and expected to matter a lot in the middle order. For now, Ashwin's plan focuses on players who deliver high impact in specific situations rather than those with strong reputations. It seems the team values raw scoring ability over created consistency.
Ashwins lineup includes Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Tim David, and romario Shepherd. This group is designed to dominate the batting during matches. So the bowling side will miss Hazlewoods performance over long formats for a time.
Arguably, this choice gives RCB a better chance to control the game early. The strategy allows them to overpower opposition with aggressive batting in key moments.
The Projected Starting XI: A New Era of Dominance?
According to Ashwin’s vision, the RCB line-up for the opener would look like this:
Virat Kohli
Phil Salt (WK)
Jacob Bethell
Rajat Patidar (C)
Jitesh Sharma
Tim David
Romario Shepherd
Krunal Pandya
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Mangesh Yadav
Yash Dayal
Impact Sub: Suyash Sharma
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