‘He is trying to create a new player in me’ – Jitesh Sharma credits Dinesh Karthik for T20 return

One of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s most unexpected IPL 2025 packages has been Jitesh Sharma. After a lacklustre 2024 season with the Punjab Kings, he has emerged as an RCB game-changing finisher. Jitesh has duly acknowledged Dinesh Karthik, the former wicketkeeper-batter and mentor of the RCB, for his new 2.0 version.

The right-hand batsman hit a 19-ball 40* in RCB’s most recent victory over the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede, which ultimately proved to be the difference in a close 12-run victory. During RCB’s high-performance camps in January and February, which were supervised by Karthik and head coach Andy Flower, Jitesh said after the game that his recent heroics were the result of months of training and faith.

“I believe my mentality was the cause of last year’s performance. Because I wasn’t mentally focused on the game at the time, I’ve informed everyone about it. I was considering what might happen in the future. Dinesh bhai informed me that it was a human error when I visited him. It isn’t too difficult.

Not a single person experiences it. Everyone experiences it. When he watched my batting style and my attempt to dominate, he realised that I don’t have the frenzy to score runs; I’m someone who always looks for the win. I’m obsessed with winning games. I really enjoy that. He discovered that I was missing a few shots. During a news conference, Jitesh stated, “He learnt that I am working on that.”

So far, the journey has been fantastic: Jitesh Sharma

The Amrawati native had a poor season last year, scoring only 187 runs at a strike rate of 131 in 14 games. But he has emerged as a very different hitter this season. He is now hitting at 192.07 in the last overs and has already made significant contributions in the lower-middle order.

“Up till now, the journey has been fantastic. because I put a lot of effort into working with him [Karthik] throughout the off-season. The shot I’m playing at the moment is a copy of the one he once played. Because he thinks I can play from all angles, he is attempting to develop me as a new player.

Seeing myself in a different position is a lot of fun. I’m thrilled when I play those shots because I’ve never tried them before. I can execute, and I have all of his support. The journey is amazing. I’m still really eager,” Jitesh says, adding that his confidence depends on how he trains.