IPL 2025: “Got More Fame with RCB Than Team India” – Jitesh Sharma
Jitesh Sharma says he got more love and recognition from RCB fans than he ever received while playing for India.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma has opened up about how his life has changed after joining the RCB camp for IPL 2025. The 31-year-old revealed that playing for RCB has brought him more recognition than his time with the Indian national team.
Speaking on the RCB podcast, Jitesh said that earlier, even after playing for India, very few people noticed him. But ever since he started playing for RCB, he has seen hundreds of fans lining up for his autograph and shouting his name.
“When I was playing the SMAT, people were shouting ‘Jitesh, Jitesh’ and ‘RCB, RCB’. Then I realised I’ve not been picked by a small team. There were 150 people waiting for my autograph. I played for India before too, but hardly 2-3 people wanted my autograph,” Jitesh shared.
Jitesh, who plays for Vidarbha in domestic cricket, is currently RCB’s designated finisher. While he hasn’t scored many runs, his performances in tough moments have helped the team. In six matches so far, he has played with a strike rate of 154.38, showing his ability to score quick runs in the lower order.
The right-handed batter also said that his approach to batting has changed. Since batting in the lower order doesn’t give him enough time to score big half-centuries, he now treats a 30 or 40-run knock as a good contribution.
RCB have enjoyed a strong IPL 2025 campaign so far, with players like Jitesh providing valuable support. While stars often grab headlines, it’s these small but important contributions that often make the difference in close matches.
