Royal Challengers Bengaluru made a bold call by signing Jitesh Sharma for ₹11 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, and the wicketkeeper-batter repaid that faith in style. Playing a key role in RCB’s maiden Indian Premier League title triumph, Jitesh emerged as one of the standout performers of the season. He featured in 15 matches, scoring 261 runs at a blistering strike rate of 176.35, while also stepping up as a leader in the absence of Rajat Patidar in a few games.
Jitesh’s fearless batting and improved consistency didn’t go unnoticed. His performances earned him a spot in India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025, and he was in contention for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 as well. However, stiff competition meant he narrowly missed out, with Ishan Kishan getting the nod instead.
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A major factor behind Jitesh’s transformation has been his work with former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who joined RCB as a batting mentor ahead of the 2025 season. Speaking recently, Jitesh opened up about the impact Karthik had on his game.
“Fully credit 2025 IPL ka mera mai unko (DK bhai ko) de sakta hu” pic.twitter.com/D3PGG5mNqx
— GK (@FCBxRCB) March 25, 2026
“I think the evolution in my batting… You can say that my mentality has also changed after meeting him (Dinesh Karthik). A lot of things.” He further added, “Now, I believe in my hard work. Earlier, I used to feel that it is less. But he told me that the things you do, sometimes they’re enough.”
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Highlighting the mental shift, Jitesh said, “He taught me where to stop. I think the change in my skill and mentality… I can give him full credit for my IPL in 2025.”
With Karthik continuing as RCB’s mentor in IPL 2026, the partnership is set to grow stronger. As RCB aim to defend their title, they will look to emulate the rare back-to-back success achieved only by Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
