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Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has voiced his concerns regarding the negative remarks made by English cricket icons about the Indian Premier League (IPL). He believes that the richest cricket league in the world is subjected to undue criticism from England, where there seems to be a prevailing disdain for the tournament. Karthik's remarks followed Alastair Cook's insistence that Jacob Bethell should exit the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad during the 2026 IPL season to participate in County cricket in England.

Currently serving as the batting coach and mentor for RCB, Karthik confronted Cook during a discussion on The Overlap Cricket's Stick to Cricket podcast, which also featured David Lloyd and Michael Vaughan. Karthik remarked, 'Bumble (Lloyd) mentioned that the pressure isn't on the player, yet the player feels it. Unfortunately, in England, there seems to be a growing animosity towards the IPL. This perception can be quite unfair. While it may not be widely viewed in England, players genuinely enjoy participating in the tournament. If you ask them, they have a great time and improve their skills.'

Addressing the situation with Bethell, Karthik emphasized that once a player enters the auction, they are obligated to honor their contract with the team, regardless of whether they are in the starting lineup. He stated, 'It's an interesting point. You say he is merely sitting on the bench. He has a contract with RCB that he chose to be part of. How can one disregard that contract simply because they are not playing? If every player were to do that, it would create chaos. You make a decision: 'Phil Salt is playing, so I'm leaving.' This should be communicated before the season, not just before the auction.'

In response, Cook highlighted Bethell's struggles with scoring runs in the initial two Test matches against New Zealand, to which Karthik questioned whether that was a result of participating in the IPL. Alongside their roles at RCB, both Karthik and Bobat also serve in similar capacities for England's 'The Hundred' league with the London Spirits, where Andy Flower is the head coach for both franchises.