RCB title-winner Jitesh Sharma shares his experience of playing alongside Virat Kohli

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Cric News India

September 3, 2025 0 236

Royal Challengers Bengaluru wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has opened up about his bond with Virat Kohli during the franchise’s winning IPL 2025 campaign. Jitesh played a role in RCB’s maiden title win, scoring at a strike rate of 176.35 in 11 innings and even stepping in as captain when Rajat Patidar was unavailable.

Jitesh, hailing from Amravati, explained that his small-town upbringing shaped his respectful approach toward seniors. He revealed that while Kohli’s stature in world cricket is immense, he preferred keeping interactions focused on cricket and avoided unnecessary intrusion into the senior player’s space.

“I come from a small town, where you give lots of respect to your seniors. You don’t intrude in their personal space. Mere liye unse baat karni hi badi baat thi. Mai jaanta hu Virat bhai ka stature, toh mai koshish karta tha ki kyu hi unke personal space mein jau, kyu pareshaan karu? (For me, just talking to him was a big deal. I know Virat bhai’s stature, so I would try not to intrude on his personal space or bother him unnecessarily). I used to talk to him about cricket only. Out of respect, I maintained my distance. I only wanted to have meaningful conversations with him,” stated Jitesh as quoted by Times of India.

Jitesh Sharma Credits Dinesh Karthik for Boosting his Confidence

Jitesh Sharma also expressed deep gratitude toward his former RCB teammate and mentor Dinesh Karthik, crediting him for a crucial role in his growth. The Amravati-born wicketkeeper-batter revealed that Karthik guided him like an elder brother, focusing on improving his strengths instead of pointing out shortcomings.

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“People used to tell me what I lack, but he worked on my strength and made me more confident about my game. That has made a huge difference. I felt it was my duty to give 100 per cent because of the way he instilled that confidence in me. He is like an elder brother to me. I have found that elder brother very late in my life, but I am glad that I did. I follow his instructions without asking any questions,” he concluded.