In the closing weeks of 2024, during Jitesh Sharma’s first in-person conversations with Andy Flower and Mo Bobat, he was asked a question that doesn’t usually get asked so plainly in a team setting: “What are your weaknesses?”
Jitesh answered quickly and directly, saying he has often found himself uncomfortable against the short ball. The exchange could easily have stayed behind closed doors, but that never really fit his approach. He spoke about the flaw with a level of openness and control that caught the coaches’ attention—especially because it came from a player more on the fringes than the usual headline names.
Being candid, however, carries its own danger. Once opponents know what you struggle with, they can build plans around it. That is exactly what has been happening in IPL 2026, with teams attacking him using pace-on and deliveries that land on a hard length.
And it hasn’t been only opposition teams sharpening their focus. Recently, his remarks about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi not being “professional” enough circulated widely after being taken out of context. Many supporters read the comments as evidence that a senior player was insecure about a 15-year-old prodigy. The fuller picture was different: Jitesh had spoken with genuine warmth, drawing on the familiarity of having seen the “kid” behind the hype in a sport that has become increasingly structured and professional.
Across both situations, one trait stands out—Jitesh’s willingness to say what he thinks without dressing it up. But that same straightforwardness can turn into a liability when fortunes hit the bottom. His current form provides the clearest example, with his own “rescue the team” joke now being turned against him. The numbers this season read harshly: eight innings yielding only 64 runs, with a strike rate of 108.47.
There has been a pattern behind the struggles, and it showed up again in the previous match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Jitesh went for a pull off Prince Yadav but was late, edging the ball to Rishabh Pant. In the game before that, in Ahmedabad, he also found himself rushed—this time nicking a hard-length Jason Holder delivery outside the off side.
In IPL 2026, pace-on bowling has been particularly punishing for him. He has been dismissed six times by that style, averaging just 2.5 runs per dismissal and striking at only 55.6 against it. Those figures have fed directly into what is already his toughest IPL campaign so far. Among batters who have faced at least 50 balls this season, only Axar Patel has a worse strike rate, 74.60, than Jitesh.
On another team, those kinds of stats might have forced a change in the XI. But Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are not in the kind of crisis that demands immediate panic. Their top order has largely been functioning well, with one notable absence—Jacob Bethell—so Jitesh has not reached a point where the decision becomes unavoidable. Still, it has not gone unnoticed.
Assistant coach Malolan Rangarajan had earlier offered a window into how RCB view him. Before the LSG game, he described Jitesh as someone “sorted,” adding that his long involvement with country cricket and IPL squads is not something that happens by accident. Rangarajan also pointed to Jitesh’s contribution the previous year, highlighting 261 runs at a strike rate of 176.35 in RCB’s title-winning campaign.
He then stressed the message being delivered to Jitesh: the coaching staff feel he is fully aware of how he can help the team in any match situation he is asked to handle. Training sessions, Rangarajan said, are built around helping him understand the moments he is most likely to face and how he can influence the game from there.
RCB’s confidence in Jitesh also extends beyond batting. The slump has not harmed his wicketkeeping, and Rajat Patidar—captain for the season—has repeatedly spoken about the value of having Jitesh available to bounce tactical ideas off during matches. Even if RCB wanted to swap Jitesh out, the alternatives are not simple.
Phil Salt, the other specialist keeper option in the squad, is dealing with a finger injury and is still not available after travelling to England for scans. Jordan Cox, their remaining keeper in reserve, has yet to get a game. If Cox does manage to force his way into the XI, RCB might have to consider leaving out Bethell, given how teams balance roles when a specialist keeper is introduced. In the IPL, being an Indian wicketkeeper—or any wicketkeeper with dependable skills—can be a major advantage.
However, Cox coming in would likely trigger reshuffling elsewhere. Devdutt Padikkal, who is having his most productive IPL season so far at No. 3, would then face a different batting plan. The likely outcome would be opening with Virat Kohli, while Venkatesh Iyer—used as an impact substitute in only two games as RCB tried to steady his batting—would be required at No. 3.
RCB have generally avoided this kind of late-season tinkering under Bobat and Flower. They did not panic even during the difficult stretch of 2024, when they managed just one win in eight matches before launching a serious push toward the playoffs, powered by six consecutive victories. That history gives RCB every reason to believe they will stick with their current plan and continue backing Jitesh.
It is also not the first time Jitesh has endured a similar mid-season dip. In IPL 2025, he—also the team’s vice-captain—had a run that mirrored his current form until the period after the halfway point. Then he kicked into gear in the match against LSG, producing a 33-ball 85—his maiden IPL fifty—to chase down 228 and help RCB finish in the top two. In the final against Punjab Kings (PBKS), his 10-ball 24 carried the same weight as any other key innings on a decisive night. With contributions like that, RCB were able to set 190 and go on to defend it.
RCB’s approach has been built on patience, structured planning, and faith in their players. Now they will be looking for Jitesh to respond in the same way he did last season—when the pressure was at its highest and his impact proved decisive.
