"People are expecting me to take Virat Kohli’s name" - RCB wicketkeeper opens up on expectations from IPL 2025
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma has said that he is looking forward the most to working with former gloveman Dinesh Karthik in the 2025 IPL season. With Karthik retiring from the IPL after the 2024 campaign, RCB went all out for Jitesh and acquired his services for ₹11 crore in the IPL 2025 auction.
The 31-year-old played for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) from the 2022 to 2024 IPL season but a poor final season meant the franchise did not retain him before the auction. Meanwhile, Karthik will continue his association with RCB as their batting coach.
Speaking to Sportstar about the upcoming IPL season, Jitesh said:
“I am looking forward to working with DK bhai. He played a similar role for RCB, and I am going to fill in his shoes. People are expecting me to take Virat Kohli’s name, but I am taking DK bhai’s name because he is someone who can teach me more."
He also expressed his surprise at RCB spending such a massive amount to recruit him at the auction.
"I wasn’t expecting so much money. I was expecting around Rs. 6 to 8 crore. But RCB showed so much belief in me, and I am very grateful for this opportunity. More than pressure, this is a challenge for me, and I feel I am worthy of it. It feels good that they attached such a huge price tag on me when they increased my value against the Right to Match option. It gives me more confidence rather than pressure. It is now my turn to give it back to the team," said Jitesh.
Jitesh played several impressive cameos for PBKS in the finisher role, scoring 730 runs in 40 outings at an average of almost 23 and a strike rate of 151.14 across the three seasons. His strong performances earned him a spot in the Indian T20I side in 2023.
"Going to focus more on winning matches for RCB rather than scoring runs" - Jitesh Sharma
![Jitesh struggled with the bat in his limited time with the Indian T20I side. [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/01/a1505-17371189394183-1920.jpg?w=500)
Jitesh Sharma emphasized that his focus would be to win as many matches as possible for RCB rather than accumulating runs.
The Maharashtra-born wicketkeeper couldn't make the most of his opportunities with the Indian T20I side, averaging a dismal 14.28 at a strike rate of 147.05 in nine games.
"I am going to focus more on winning matches for RCB rather than scoring runs. I love to win matches. If I score runs but the team loses, I don’t like that. I am the happiest person if I score a duck, but the team wins. Winning and losing is the ultimate in sport," said Jitesh.
RCB are still searching for their elusive IPL title despite qualifying for the playoffs in four of the last five seasons.
Meanwhile, Jitesh is currently playing for Vidarbha in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, helping his side qualify for the final. The summit clash against Karnataka will be played in Vadodara on January 18.