Karthik wants this young RCB batter to replace Ollie Pope at Lord's

Sports News: Former Indian wicket-keeper batter and the current mentor for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, Dinesh Karthik, has given a statement about replacing Ollie Pope with Jacob Bethell. The statement has come ahead of the third test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at the iconic Lord's. After India's emphatic win that leveled the series at Edgbaston, Karthik feels that Bethell would be a better option for England. Bethell is a left-handed batter and also bowls left-arm spin. According to the former Indian, he should be the one to play at no. 3 for the hosts.

Karthik's opinion

In a panel discussion with Sky Sports, which involves legends of the game like Ravi Shastri, Nasser Hussain, and Michael Atherton, Karthik was asked whether he would retain Pope at no. 3 or would look to replace him with Bethell. Karthik replied, "I am a bit biased. I would pick him [Bethell] at No. 3. At this point in time, I'd pick him ahead of Ollie Pope. The fact is that if you are an England selector and coach, it's unfair to Pope. He got a hundred in the last game. But if you look at the long run, it would be interesting to see where Bethell and Pope finish. I feel, along with Harry Brook, he is probably the big one to watch out for."

Bethell for RCB in IPL 2025

The young English all-rounder openly played a couple of games in the tournament. one of which involved a fine half-century against the rivals, Chennai Super Kings. Speaking more about Bethell's potential, Dinesh added, "You can almost bat him anywhere. From three to seven, he is ready. In IPL, we have picked him in such a way that he gives us flexibility to bat—opening, three, even middle of the order, and finisher. What I really liked about him is his ability to understand and absorb information and quickly transfer it to his game."

Ollie Pope's recent form

After a great century that came in a winning cause at Headingly, the No. 3 batter for England has struggled in his last three innings, with scores of 8, 0, and 24, respectively. With the series leveled at 1-1, the Lord's test becomes even more intense. Can't 'deny the fact that both teams would look to take the all-important lead; the hosts might look to make a couple of changes in the team combination.