Jitesh Sharma on taking it personally for RCB in the 2025 Indian Premier League: “This year, I am playing with emotions.”

In addition to players like Virat Kohli and Josh Hazlewood, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has been a crucial part of RCB’s strong performance in the current competition. With a few league stage games remaining, Royal Challengers Bengaluru has already advanced for the playoffs, capping up an incredible Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign.

Playing his first season with the Bengaluru-based team, Jitesh has stated that he has a particular connection to the team. Jitesh, who had recently been selected by the team at the mega auctions, participated in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy in Alur, 30 kilometres outside of Bangalore, prior to the competition. Jitesh claimed that people in Alur only knew him because of his affiliation with the RCB, which motivated the cricketer from Vidarbha to perform well for the team.

“I’m experimenting with emotions this year. We don’t let it hurt since we are mentally prepared and aware that there will be wins and losses. However, I’m taking it personally for RCB this time. When I first saw it, I was playing Syed Mushtaq in Alur, and there were a lot of big players and people hanging about playing the game. They were cool and did nothing when they were batting. People yelled, “Jitesh, RCB, RCB,” as I was about to bat, and that’s when it hit me,” Jitesh and Mayanti Langer said on the RCB podcast.

𝗝𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮: 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲, 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲

Jitesh talks about his cricket, mindset, equation with Rajat, discussions with Virat, and more on @bigbasket_com presents RCB Podcast Bold and Beyond. 🎬

Here’s a sneak peek. Full episode dropping soon… 🎙️… pic.twitter.com/aUZOCf7yae

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 21, 2025

Jitesh Sharma discusses Virat Kohli.

Jitesh Sharma also brought up a talk he had with the legendary batter for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the role Virat Kohli played in his performances. The 31-year-old stumper batsman talked about how Virat’s advice changed the way he approached the game.

“Virat Kohli is a dynamic individual who still knows how to play his game.” Then he said that it’s normal to feel like “this is not my day” before a match. You must somehow control your batting energy because you are not hitting the ball well. Try running hard and attempting to middle the ball. He taught me these little tips: relax, consider the game, and make a choice,” Jitesh Sharma continued.