The Harry Brook era in white-ball cricket has gotten off to an ideal start after England thrashed West Indies by 238 runs in the first ODI of the three-match series on Thursday at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Jacob Bethell was adjudged Player of the Match for his match-winning knock of 82 runs off 53 balls with the help of eight fours and five sixes. This knock enabled England to post 400/8 in the allotted 50 overs.

After winning the Player of the Match accolade, Jacob Bethell credited Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the experience of playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, saying he is now a better player than he was two months ago.

He also spoke about how Virat Kohli shared his experiences with him and how the India legend was exceptional in passing the information along. The left-handed Bethell played just two matches in the IPL 2025 season, scoring 67 runs at a strike rate of 171.79.

Bethell was given a chance in the playing XI after Phil Salt missed two months owing to a fever. The young sensation also scored a half-century against the Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

However, Bethell returned to England ahead of the ODIs against West Indies and RCB named Tim Seifert as his replacement for the playoffs.

"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.

'Felt the energy'

Jacob Bethell also opened up about the experience of batting alongside Kohli at the top order. He said that he really felt the energy, and he will learn how to incorporate intensity into his game moving ahead.

Speaking on the BBC Test Match Special, Bethell remarked, "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," he added.

Speaking about the first ODI between England and West Indies, the former registered an emphatic win after bundling out the visitors for just 162 inside 27 overs. For England, Jamie Overton returned with three wickets.

On the same day, RCB also progressed to their fourth IPL final after beating Punjab Kings in Mullanpur by eight wickets.