Ambati Rayudu has taken Royal Challengers Bengaluru wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma to task after another unconvincing outing in IPL 2026, pointing to a recurring issue that, in his view, is becoming difficult to fix mid-season. Rayudu highlighted that Jitesh has produced just 64 runs across 10 matches at an average of 8.00, striking at 108.47, and against Lucknow Super Giants on Thursday he again failed to make an impact.
Key takeaways
- In IPL 2026, Jitesh Sharma has scored 64 runs in 10 games at an average of 8.00 with a strike rate of 108.47.
- Rayudu believes Jitesh is consistently arriving late to short deliveries, a problem he says should have been addressed during a break.
- Lucknow Super Giants beat RCB by nine runs via the DLS method after rain affected the chase.
- RCB’s innings collapsed after early wickets, including Jitesh’s dismissal in the 11th over by Prince Yadav.
- Despite resistance from a 95-run third-wicket partnership, RCB fell short as Digvesh Rathi defended the target in the final over.
- RCB sit third in the table after 10 matches (six wins, four losses), while LSG remain bottom with three wins and seven defeats.
Rayudu questions Jitesh’s ability to handle short balls
Rayudu said Jitesh had a good opening to return to form sharply following the short break, but that he appears to be “getting late” when the ball is short. He suggested the batter had time to work on this weakness, yet the same pattern has continued, which Rayudu feels is especially concerning because IPL games come quickly and there are limited practice opportunities to correct major flaws once the season is moving.
The former India batter also stressed that when a weakness is as pronounced as the one he is observing with Jitesh, it becomes extremely hard to compensate within the tournament schedule. With fewer practice sessions and little time available, Rayudu implied that the margin for improvement is shrinking as matches pile up.
LSG’s rain-affected win and RCB’s chase
In the match at hand, Lucknow Super Giants sealed a nine-run victory using the DLS method, ending a run of six consecutive defeats. After rain interruptions, LSG set a target of 209 in 19 overs, with Mitchell Marsh delivering a century as the innings took shape.
Chasing 210, RCB lost momentum early, with Jacob Bethell and Virat Kohli departing soon after the innings began. RCB attempted to rebuild through Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar, who put together a 95-run partnership for the third wicket. However, Prince Yadav—who had earlier struck—broke that stand by dismissing Kohli, and he later accounted for Jitesh as well.
RCB needed Jitesh to deliver after Padikkal’s wicket fell in the 11th over, but Jitesh was dismissed for a duck off three balls in the same over, leaving the chase in trouble. From 104/2, the innings slid to 112/5, and the collapse did not stop there.
Late hitting falls short as Rathi defends
Tim David provided a lift with a 17-ball 40, giving RCB renewed hope. After that, Romario Shepherd and Krunal Pandya struck boundaries to keep the chase alive, but the required rate remained challenging heading into the final over.
With RCB needing 20 off the last set, captain Rishabh Pant turned to Digvesh Rathi. Rathi responded with a tight spell that restricted RCB to 203/6, ensuring LSG took the points.
On the points table, RCB are third after 10 matches, having won six and lost four. LSG, meanwhile, are languishing at the bottom with three wins and seven defeats.
