BENGALURU: Coming in at No. 6 in the 16th over against Mumbai Indians on Monday, Jitesh Sharma got going against Trent Boult following up a boundary with a maximum. In fact, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper-bat scored 24 off eight Boult deliveries. He even picked up a loose ball from Jasprit Bumrah to send it into the long-on stands during his unbeaten 19-ball 40.
Sharma’s repertoire of shots garnered a lot of attention. A utility player of high value, Sharma, who was roped in by RCB for Rs 11 crore this season, came into his own with the Punjab Kings in 2022. At RCB, Dinesh Karthik has taken the 31-year-old under his wings and the result — from one finisher to another — is telling.
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Sharma, a like-to-like replacement to Karthik — who hung up his boots after last season — worked extensively with the now RCB batting coach during the off-season. On the eve of RCB’s home game against Delhi Capitals, Sharma spoke about Karthik’s role in reshaping his game.
“It’s been a great journey till now. During the off-season I worked hard with him (Karthik). The shots I am playing right now are a replica of what he used to play. He is trying to turn me into a new player because he believes that I can play all around the circle.”
After an underwhelming 2024 season, Sharma emphasised on the mental blocks he has been able to clear.
“Last year’s performance was because of mental issues. I was not mentally in the game because I was thinking ahead and about the future. When I met Dinesh bhai, he told me that it’s a human error. It’s not rocket science; it happens to everyone,” he explained.
Having sorted his mental demons, Sharma also revealed that confidence building is a part of his training regime.
“My confidence doesn’t rely on the score. It always depends on my process and how I train. It’s because, if I have confidence in the end result, then the variables go up and down. So, I mostly keep my confidence high during practice,” he added.
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