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India's wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma justified the hefty price tag and played a vital role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title win. RCB's vice-captain, who has been recalled in the T20I squad for T20 Asia Cup 2025, has opened up on why he did not show Virat Kohli his funny side in the dressing room.
"One guy who is really funny but hasn't opened up with me is Jitesh. I would really want to see that fun, raw side of him. Because I can see it in his eyes that he has got that mischief about him," Kohli had said in an event a few months ago.
Meanwhile, Jitesh had manifested that he would hold the "IPL trophy with Virat bhai on the left and DK Anna on the right". His wish came true as RCB beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) and ended their long wait for the coveted trophy.
Months after the win at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Jitesh said that he did not show his funny side to Kohli out of respect. He did not want to invade the former India captain's space.
"Again I come from a small town, where you give lots of respect to your seniors. You don't intrude in their personal space," he told TimesofIndia.com.
"Mere liye unse baat karni hi badi baat hai. Mai jaanta hun ki Virat bhai ka stature, toh mai koshish karta that ki kyu hi unke personal space mey jau, kyu pareshaan karu (For me, just talking to him is 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 a meaningful conversation with him," he added.
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Jitesh’s IPL 2025 numbers
The 31-year-old played the role of finisher for RCB and added a few unorthodox shots to his arsenal. From 11 innings, he scored 261 runs, including an unbeaten 85 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a massive run chase which helped RCB cement a spot in Qualifier 1. He scored at an average of 37.28 and strike rate of 176.35.
It will be interesting to see whether he or Sanju Samson makes it to the playing XI when India take on UAE in their T20 Asia Cup 2025 opener.
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