Dinesh Karthik’s mentorship helped Jitesh Sharma grow as a finisher
Jitesh Sharma returned to the India squad for the Asia Cup after more than a year, following Rishabh Pant’s injury setback during the England tour.
The wicketkeeper-batter comes into the T20I side as an IPL champion, having played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden title win earlier this year. His comeback has been shaped by strong performances and guidance from RCB batting coach Dinesh Karthik.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Karthik made some striking revelations about the 30-year-old cricketer, who recently shifted from Vidarbha to Baroda. He highlighted how Jitesh never forced himself into a desperate chase for India colours but instead focused on refining his skills.
“I think he was never someone who was desperate to play for India,” Karthik said. “And he was very free, and he went about playing very confidently for Kings, and then made it to the Indian team. And then he knew that he was on the fringes when he didn’t do as well, and the T20 World Cup 2024 was around the corner. That’s when he became desperate. That kind of filtered into his performances, which weren’t as good as he wanted them to be, and he put himself under immense pressure.”
After leaving Punjab Kings, Jitesh joined RCB as a replacement for Karthik. The former India stumper explained that while Jitesh always wanted to represent the country, he did not want to burden himself with expectations. Instead, he wanted to enjoy the process and learn the art of finishing games.
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“What he wanted to work on was how do I finish a game? How do I get the team to above par? So he was playing a lot of cameos, never knowing how to get that big innings that was required to win a game or take the team far in the first innings. I kind of know what it takes to do that. With the skills he had, there was so much potential that I just needed to unlock it,” Karthik explained.
Karthik also broke down Jitesh’s natural strengths and areas of improvement. “He was someone who could hit very well down the ground. He had a very good vertical swing. But what he didn’t have too much of was any sort of innovative shots. It was almost a taboo because I think wherever he played, everybody had told him that you have so many good shots down the ground. Why would you try and do things behind? You need to try and understand what your strengths are,” he added.
The mentorship paid off in RCB’s historic title run. Jitesh’s knock against Pant became a standout performance, and his quickfire 24 in the final played a crucial role in Bengaluru lifting their first IPL trophy.
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Last Updated on September 1, 2025
