Bengaluru, 03 April (H.S.):
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper‑batter Jitesh Sharma has made it clear that the team’s ambition is not limited to winning a single title, but to building a sustained period of dominance in the Indian Premier League.
Speaking on the RCB Podcast, Sharma said last season’s success has only deepened the side’s hunger to create a lasting legacy at the franchise.
“This is not a one‑year thing. We are here to dominate. I want to prove that what happened last season was not a one‑off,” Sharma said, underscoring his determination to turn the 2025 title into the start of a new chapter rather than a standalone achievement.
Reflecting on RCB’s historic title win last season, Sharma described it as the most special moment of his career so far. “Winning the first trophy for RCB felt like pure magic. The biggest joy for me was that I could contribute to it. That moment will always stay close to my heart,” he added.
Sharma also opened up about the personal challenges he has faced, including the loss of his father. He acknowledged that the void created by that grief never fully goes away. “When you lose your father, that emptiness never really fills. Instead of trying to forget it, I choose to carry that emotion with me and move forward,” he said.
He expressed pride in the fact that his father lived to see him play for India and then win a trophy with RCB, describing those as moments he holds on to very deeply.
Sharma credited former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik for playing a pivotal role in strengthening both his technique and his mental toughness. “Dinesh Karthik has helped me understand my game better and become mentally stronger. He even advised me to take a short break and spend time with my family, which helped me regroup and find myself again,” he said.
With that support, Sharma has evolved beyond thinking of himself only as a wicketkeeper. He now sees himself as a finisher, a key fielder, and an all‑round contributor to the team’s balance. “My job is to secure a place in the team, whatever role I am given. Today I look at myself as someone who can give an all‑round contribution with bat, gloves, and in the field,” he explained.
Returning to the Indian team remains his ultimate dream. “Playing for India is my final goal. I feel I have put in the work, and now I am just waiting for the next opportunity,” Sharma said, hinting at his readiness to slot back into the national setup.
Recalling the crucial final of the previous season, in which he scored 24 runs off 10 balls to help RCB clinch the title, Sharma said the last over felt like the longest six balls of his life. “We wanted that win so badly. Those six deliveries stretched out in my mind more than anything else in my career so far,” he shared.
With RCB entering the new season as defending champions, Sharma believes teams will come at them with greater aggression. “This season opponents will attack us even harder, and I like that. I want people to pressurise us, because we will respond with full intensity,” he said.
---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
