Jitesh Sharma

As a mischievous schoolboy, Jitesh Sharma rarely had the patience for books, preferring the outdoors and the thrill of sport. That restless energy eventually found its perfect outlet in cricket, and what began as an escape from studies soon became his lifelong calling.

Jitesh Sharma performed superbly in the 2012-13 Cooch Behar Trophy, which propelled him to get a place in the senior Vidarbha side. He made a name for an emerging Vidarbha side as a lower order finisher in limited overs cricket. Jitesh Sharma was also picked by Mumbai Indians in 2016, but didn’t get a game.

It looked like his prime was behind him as Jitesh failed to make it beyond the domestic circuit for a few years, and was heading towards oblivion. However, the dashing wicket-keeper batter had other plans as he sprang back to life in the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He scored 19 sixes in the competition, the most in the tournament and carved a niche for himself as a lower-order finisher.

This Mushtaq Ali form piqued interest from Punjab Kings for the 2022 IPL, and Jitesh proved to be a real dark horse. Playing a wide array of ramps, scoops and smashing huge sixes, Jitesh was one of the breakout stars of the 2022 IPL. He followed that up with another solid Mushtaq Ali series, and got a maiden India call-up in 2023, being roped in mid-series against Sri Lanka for an injured Sanju Samson.

While his game continued to evolve, Jitesh struggled to shed the tag of being a lower-order specialist. With Rishabh Pant and Samson ahead of him in the pecking order, his India opportunities remained limited. But in franchise cricket, he continued to thrive. Punjab Kings relied heavily on his aggressive finishing, and by the time the 2025 IPL auctions came around, his stock had soared. Royal Challengers Bengaluru splurged heavily to secure his services, banking on his explosive batting to add firepower to their middle-order.

Jitesh Sharma made an immediate impact in his maiden season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, producing several game-changing knocks through the 2025 IPL. His finest hour came against the Lucknow Super Giants in a high-scoring thriller at Lucknow, where he bludgeoned 85 off just 33 balls to script a stunning chase of 227. That innings epitomized his fearless approach and cemented his reputation as one of the league’s most destructive finishers.

The season ended on the highest note possible as RCB, long burdened by the tag of underachievers, finally lifted their maiden IPL title, with Jitesh playing a pivotal role in the campaign.