Jitesh Sharma played a crucial role in helping RCB win their maiden IPL title.
It is no secret that Dinesh Karthik has helped Jitesh Sharma nurture the latter’s game, especially in the T20 format. Jitesh has often credited the role that the former Tamil Nadu cricketer has played, going on to say that Karthik believes Jitesh can play a 360-degree kind of game.
That was evident in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, wherein Jitesh played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The Vidarbha cricketer went on to play quite a few impactful knocks in IPL 2025, most notably when he slammed an unbeaten 85 runs off just 33 deliveries to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets.
That win also helped the Rajat Patidar-led side seal their spot in the Qualifier, where they would face Jitesh’s former side, Punjab Kings (PBKS). Earlier in the season, Jitesh had taken on Jasprit Bumrah and Co at the Wankhede Stadium when Royal Challengers Bengaluru met Mumbai Indians (MI). He slammed 40 runs off 19 balls, hitting two fours and four sixes.
That eventually set the benchmark for him, and even though he couldn’t make much of an impact with the bat in the next few matches, that one match against Lucknow Super Giants, wherein RCB chased down 227, gave Jitesh immense confidence.
Exactly a week after that knock, Jitesh showcased his magic yet again, in the IPL 2025 final against Punjab Kings.
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru were 131/4 in the 15th over, but Jitesh’s 10-ball 24 (Two fours and as many sixes) changed the complexion of the game and took his side to 190/9. That was a total that RCB successfully defended to lift their maiden IPL title.
In the final against the Punjab Kings, the shot that stood out for Jitesh was a scoop over the wicketkeeper’s head for a maximum off a Kyle Jamieson bouncer.
“In my initial work with him, we went through that shot, how we need to practice, what it takes to use it and how to use it, when to use it, all of those kinds of things,” RCB mentor Dinesh Karthik told Cricbuzz. “Once he got the hang of how to do it, he became very good,” he added.
The right-handed batter finished his IPL 2025 season with just 261 runs from 15 matches at a strike rate of 176.35, and while his numbers don’t do justice, Jitesh was impactful for Royal Challengers Bengaluru whenever it mattered the most.
