“He was never desperate to play for India” - Dinesh Karthik’s massive praise for RCB star ahead of 2025 Asia Cup

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting coach Dinesh Karthik praised Jitesh Sharma for evolving his T20 game following an exceptional 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign. The Vidarbha wicket-keeper's massive contribution towards RCB's maiden title led to a recall to Team India's T20I squad for the upcoming 2025 Asia Cup.

Jitesh Sharma was RCB's most expensive Indian acquisition at the mega auction, fetching a whopping price tag of INR 11 crore. The franchise went all-out, matching the Punjab Kings (PBKS) Right-to-Match price as well, which proved to be an extra four crores.

The wicket-keeper aced his role as the finisher with his new franchise, scoring a slew of impactful cameos. However, his absolute best came in the business end of the campaign. He struck an unbeaten 85 runs off 33 deliveries while leading the side against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to ensure a top-two finish for the franchise. He also recorded a crucial 10-ball 24 run cameo in the final against the Punjab Kings (PBKS).

Dinesh Karthik noted how Jitesh Sharma was not initially desperate to play for India, but noted how being in the radar for the 2024 T20 World Cup affected his returns.

"I think he was never someone who was desperate to play for India. 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," Dinesh Karthik said in an interview with Cricbuzz.

Jitesh Sharma had made the most of the wicket-keeper vacancy in the Indian setup after Rishabh Pant's unfortunate car accident. He featured heavily towards the end of 2023 and in the early months of 2024, but lost out to the likes of the returning Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson when it came to the World Cup squad.

"I was quite fond of the kid. Because he was very honest, very earnest, and wanted to really improve and do well. But I think it got to a point where he wasn't sure how to move forward from there. I just took note of it and kept it," Dinesh Karthik added.

Jitesh Sharma's mediocre IPL 2024 season, where he scored 187 runs in 12 matches at an average of 17, and a strike rate of 131.69, also did not help his case. His last T20I appearance came during the home series against Afghanistan in early 2024.

"I'm sure at some point of time, we were all competing to play in the Indian team" - Dinesh Karthik on mentoring Jitesh Sharma after being his rival

Dinesh Karthik's breakthrough IPL 2022 campaign, which helped him return to the T20I setup, was also Jitesh Sharma's first-ever season in the competition. While the veteran shone with 330 runs at a strike rate of 183.33, the Vidarbha glovesman was also not behind after scoring 234 runs at a strike rate of 163.64.

Prior to the IPL 2022, Jitesh also had an excellent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, scoring 214 runs at a strike rate of 235.16. He replicated his exploits in the next year as well for Vidarbha, scoring 224 runs at a strike rate of 175. However, he had to wait for his chance, with Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant tussling out for the spot in the Indian team.

"In many ways, I'm sure at some point of time, we were all competing to play in the Indian team and he and I were competitors. So now when roles changed and he started working with me, I think he needed to cross that mental barrier that, you know, I will give him everything possible as a coach, and he needs to trust me. And I think he had that from day one when we started practicing," Dinesh Karthik said.

"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," he concluded.

Jitesh Sharma, who has played in nine T20Is to date, has an opportunity to make a comeback, especially after Shubman Gill was named as the vice-captain of the side ahead of the Asia Cup 2025. The new combination may require India to have a wicket-keeper in the middle-order, where Sharma slots in seamlessly.