Jitesh Sharma, the top batsman and wicketkeeper for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), recently talked about his friendship with Virat Kohli during the team’s play in the last Indian Premier League season. When Rajat Patidar wasn’t completely available, he also captained a couple of games.
Jitesh was candid when he acknowledged that he would not talk to Kohli very much and would only ever discuss cricket-related topics with him. He attributed his actions to coming from Amravati, a small town in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha area. Because of his modest upbringing, the Vidarbha stumper-batter learnt to show respect for his seniors, which he also did for Kohli.
Jitesh, who scored 176.35 runs in 11 innings, was an essential member of RCB’s IPL 2025 winning team.
“In my tiny community, people treat their seniors with a great deal of respect. You don’t encroach on their privacy. Badi baat thi mere liye unse baat karni. Toh mai koshish karta tha ki kyu hi unke personal space mein jau kyu pareshaan karu, kyu jaanta hu Virat bhai ka stature? Just speaking with him was significant to me. Given Virat bhai’s prominence, I would make an effort to respect his personal space and avoid bothering him needlessly. I used to exclusively discuss cricket with him. I kept my distance out of deference. According to the Times of India, Jitesh said, “I just wanted to have meaningful conversations with him.”
Another ft. is assisted by a wicketkeeper. Dinesh Karthik
The Amravati native also praised Dinesh Karthik, his former RCB teammate and batting coach-turned-mentor, for being his “elder brother.” The 31-year-old also explained how Karthik would stop complaining about Jitesh’s flaws and concentrate on building on his abilities.
“I used to get criticism about my weaknesses, but he helped me focus on my strengths and boost my self-confidence. That has had a significant impact. Because of the way he gave me that confidence, I felt obligated to give it my all. To me, he resembles an older brother. It took me a long time to find that older brother, but I’m pleased I did. I do as he says without question,” he said.
At the IPL 2025 mega auction, RCB paid INR 11 crore for Jitesh. In particular, the blitz against the Lucknow Super Giants, where the team achieved its largest successful run-chase in league history, was one of his tournament match-defining hits. He did not let anyone down. That season, the squad led by Rajat Patidar won the IPL for the first time.
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