Just the idea of playing alongside Virat Kohli brings a smile to Jitesh Sharma‘s face. The wicketkeeper batter, who was bought by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for Rs 11 crore at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction, can’t wait to share the field with Kohli.
Jitesh Sharma’s Punjab Kings career
Jitesh believes that the kind of energy the former RCB captain exuberates will inspire him. The wicketkeeper had been with the Punjab Kings from 2022 to 2024 and spent the last season as the deputy to Sam Curran. He captained the side once as well in IPL 2024, but his performance with the bat was poor, and therefore Punjab moved ahead without retaining him.
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Jitesh Sharma lauds about Kohli’s consistency
Although Punjab Kings bid for Jitesh, RCB showed more interest and risked spending over 10% of their total purse on the wicketkeeper. Expected to take over Dinesh Karthik’s role down the order, Jitesh is happy that he can become the best version of himself at the RCB by playing under Kohli.
“It will be great to play under Virat Kohli. I would love to play under him because he is so energetic and enthusiastic—it can push my limits. A person who is always involved in the game can inspire me to push my game further. I think I’ll try to learn from Kohli’s consistency and how he has kept himself fit and motivated over all these years,” Jitesh Sharma told the Times of India.
Jitesh Sharma’s IPL/PBKS stats
| Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | Catches | Stumps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 730 | 22.81 | 151.13 | 0 | 25 | 4 |
