Bethell — from being a spectator to putting on a spectacle

Not many T20 World Cup tales are as remarkable as Jacob Bethell’s one.

About three-and-a-half years ago, Bethell, a bubbly boy back then, had been among those sent into a frenzy in the Adelaide Oval stands. After all, England had delivered a statement of dominance to coast to a 10-wicket victory over India in the semifinal of the 2022 T20 World Cup.

At the time, little would he have known that he would one day own the very stage he enjoyed a show on. That too in a few years from then. In a clear reflection of his stunning growth, Bethell went from being a spectator to a spectacle-creator in a T20 WC last-four clash.

In Mumbai on Thursday, the southpaw put on an exhibition with a masterful century, a performance which Bethell the fan would have gone gaga over.

The 22-year-old, in an interaction with the ICC ahead of the final-four encounter, had spoken about recreating the magic of 2022. “Tom Prest (his under-19 captain) and I were in Australia (during the T20 WC). We were able to watch the semifinal live. That feeling was surreal… watching the boys get over the line. Hopefully, we can replicate it,” Bethell had said.

Bethell made the Indians, including common members of the 2022 and 2026 batches (Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh), hold their breath during the mammoth chase. While he fell agonisingly short, his knock will be etched in memory.