Latest news with #Jitesh
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First Post
18 hours ago
- Sport
- First Post
IPL Playoff: Belief and teamwork are RCB's secret sauce in IPL 2025 and they'll need more of it against PBKS
RCB have had eight different Player of the Match award winners in IPL 2025 which highlights that the team has multiple match-winners and it's no more dependent on a few star players. read more Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs before as well, in fact nine times and three times in the final as well, but they will have a different sort of belief when they walk onto the ground for the Qualifier 1 today (29 May, Thursday) against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh. The belief that was on display in their last league game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Tuesday, where Jitesh Sharma played an unbelievable knock from the No.6 slot to help RCB secure a top-two finish . When Jitesh walked in to bat, Bengaluru still needed 105 more runs to win from just 52 balls. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In any other season, the team would have capitulated and settled for just a playoff spot, but not this RCB, which is coached by Andy Flower and captained by Rajat Patidar. Belief and teamwork are RCB's secret sauce When the odds seemed heavily stacked against them, lesser-known Jitesh played an innings of his life, smashing 83 not out off just 33 balls and helping RCB win by six wickets. What he said after scripting a miraculous win underlined why RCB have been so good this season. 'The belief system in our team is very strong and whichever players you see, everyone is a match-winner and even if we lose 3-4 wickets, we always had the belief,' the wicketkeeper-batter said. Also Read | IPL 2025 Qualifier 1, PBKS vs RCB: Key battles to watch out for Yes, it's very much about the belief otherwise, how else do you explain RCB having eight different Player of the Match award winners in IPL 2025? This goes on to show that the team is no longer dependent on just one player. It's not about just Kohli anymore. Multiple match winners in one team Yes, Kohli has been influential with 602 runs at a strike rate of 147.91 and eight fifties, but eight different Player of the Match award winners highlight that whenever there was a need, a new player stood up and took the team across the finish line. That's the major reason why RCB collected nine wins in the league phase in IPL 2025 and managed a top-two finish, which will give them two chances to qualify for the final . Also Read | What happens if PBKS vs RCB Qualifier 1 is washed out? The playoffs or the final are sometimes like a lottery, but if RCB keeps the trend going and at least one player decides to make it count, this probably could be the year where the IPL trophy finally lands at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
IPL 2025, RCB vs PBKS Qualifier 1: Final before the final?
The is now reaching its climax, with the playoffs beginning on Thursday. Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer, have qualified for the business end of the tournament for the first time since 2014 and now face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Qualifier 1 in Mullanpur. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Their position was fortified after Jitesh Sharma's brilliant 33-ball 85-run blitz helped them defeat Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium. Gujarat Titans will compete against Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator on Friday at the same venue before the caravan moves to Ahmedabad for the eliminator and final. RCB vs PBKS, IPL Qualifier 1: Quick Singles from Mullanpur | Indian Premier League RCB's fortunes turned for the better on Tuesday night in Lucknow, where Jitesh's outstanding performance helped them hunt down a target of 228 by the 19th over despite being 123-4 in the 12th following the dismissal of . Poll Which team has the better chance of winning the IPL title this year? Punjab Kings Royal Challengers Bengaluru Gujarat Titans Mumbai Indians What will also delight the three-time finalists is the fact that a team that was traditionally top-heavy and lacked in finishers achieved the feat on the strength of their middle order, with Jitesh and Mayank Agarwal shining. Hazlewood back RCB will also welcome the return of pace ace Josh Hazlewood. Despite missing several matches due to a shoulder niggle, the Australian fast bowler leads RCB's wicket-taking charts with 18 dismissals in 10 matches at 17.27. Partnering with old warhorse Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the pair has added teeth to the RCB pace attack, traditionally their Achilles heel. Phil Salt's aggressive batting and Kohli's impressive form (602 runs in 13 matches at 60.20, with eight fifties) provide extra fillip to RCB. Despite having a trophy laden career, the IPL crown has been missing from Kohli's cabinet and the 2025 campaign provides another opportunity. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Qualifier-1 presents a significant leadership challenge for Shreyas Iyer, who aims to secure his third consecutive title as captain, following his success with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) last year in the IPL and with Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. What will aid both teams is second crack at reaching the final if they lose this one. Punjab Kings have the added advantage of home support in Mullanpur. They will also benefit from an extra day of rest, a privilege not available to RCB, who played on Tuesday and travelled on Wednesday. Punjab to miss Jansen The Punjab Kings, reaching the playoffs after 11 years, have flourished under the captaincoach combo of Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting. Their opening partnership of Prabhsimran Singh (499 runs) and Priyansh Arya (424 runs) has been exceptional. The batting lineup is further strengthened by Iyer, the innovative Josh Inglis, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh and Marcus Stoinis. The hosts though will experience a setback as they will lose the services of Marco Jansen. The tall left-arm seamer will depart to prepare for the World Test Championship final against Australia. However, Kyle Jamieson showed against Mumbai Indians that he can be a worthy replacement. The gifted Azmatullah Omarzai too will be expected to fill Jansen's void. Jansen has been a solid contributor with the ball, bagging 16 wickets in 14 matches at 27.12. What the Kings will welcome is leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal's return from injury. Add leftarm-spinner Harpreet Brar and Arshdeep Singh (18 wickets in 14 matches) to the attack, and the bowling unit looks formidable.
Mint
a day ago
- Sport
- Mint
IPL 2025: From accidental wicketkeeper to match-winner — Jitesh Sharma powers RCB into Qualifier 1 vs PBKS
An accidental wicketkeeper from small-town India, who started out more interested in joining the defence forces than playing cricket. A captain who bats in the lower middle-order, he pulled off a stunning heist for his team. A man who showed ice-cool composure in the face of Herculean odds and overcame them. No, we are not talking about the man who wears jersey No 7. This is Jitesh Sharma. The way Jitesh blitzed 85* off 33 to take Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) into the IPL 2025 playoffs as one of the top two teams would have made MS Dhoni proud. Jitesh lived a lifetime in an innings. In 33 balls, he showed his team, and its millions of fans, that sometimes, faith does get rewarded. Jitesh has played nine T20Is for India in 2023 and 2024. But he discovered what fame meant when he was playing in Alur, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, in December 2024, playing the domestic Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, for Vidarbha against Mumbai, two weeks after the mega-auction. 'People were screaming 'Jitesh, Jitesh. RCB, RCB'. That's when I realised I've not joined a small team,' Jitesh told RCB's Bold Diaries. He added, 'There is something different here. There were 100-150 people in line to get my autograph. I wasn't expecting it. I had played for India already, and not even two people had come… At that moment, it hit me that this franchise is something different.' Jitesh knew before the season, before any RCB camp had begun, that this IPL 2025 would be different. And he promised himself that he would play from his heart as much as his brain. The transient nature of players' association with IPL franchises means they can compartmentalise defeats more easily. Jitesh promised himself that he would take things 'personally' for RCB. A classic example of chaos theory suggests that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil could cause a tornado in the USA. Or, in Jitesh's case, a small decision triggered a life-changing journey. As a teenager, Jitesh wanted to join the air force. He signed up for a cricket trial camp because he would get 4% additional marks in his defence exams if he could make it to the state cricket team. He joined the wicketkeepers list because that had the fewest applicants. The 4% lure was the butterfly. The tornado was Jitesh. Before RCB's humdinger against LSG, Jitesh had never scored a fifty in the IPL. On 49 off 21 against LSG, he reverse-swept Digvesh Rathi into the hands of Ayush Badoni at point. If ever an artist needed an illustration of 'a picture speaks a thousand words', the image of Jitesh sunk to his knees in absolute despair would have been it. He might have never gotten up - except it was a no-ball. In his 53rd game and 46th IPL innings, Jitesh skyrocketed to fifty with an almighty six on the next ball. He has never batted higher than No 5 in the IPL, and Jitesh had made his peace with being satisfied by 30s. 'I was an opener earlier, and used to hit a lot of 50s and 100s,' Jitesh said. 'I wanted to raise my bat once at least, but since I've become a finisher, I never got that opportunity (laughs). Getting 20-ball 40s or 10-ball 30s is our fifty. And I'm very happy if the team wins with that,' he said. As a finisher in IPL 2025, it's the 85* that has got him the limelight, but Jitesh was quietly spectacular for RCB all through. He has been particularly good at getting fast starts. In the ebbs and flows of T20, a wicket usually slows down scoring. Jitesh has ensured no loss of momentum for RCB. He has the sixth-best strike rate in the first five balls of an innings after the league phase. Player Team Runs Balls Out Avg S/R Abhishek Sharma SRH 101 58 1 101.0 174.1 Abhishek Porel DC 100 59 2 50.0 169.5 Ajinkya Rahane KKR 95 60 0 - 158.3 Angkrish Raghuvanshi KKR 80 51 2 40.0 156.9 Suryakumar Yadav MI 109 70 0 - 155.7 Jitesh Sharma RCB 75 50 0 - 150.0 Sunil Narine KKR 81 54 2 40.5 150.0 Everyone apart from Jitesh in this list bats at the top of the order, and most have the advantage of the Powerplay. To do what Jitesh has done is remarkable. It was only fitting that he was finally rewarded with a fifty. Jitesh wholeheartedly credited RCB batting coach Dinesh Karthik for his upswing in fortunes. He was good before this season. Karthik has put him on the path to being great. 'I have never felt so connected to anyone,' Jitesh said. 'If he tells me to sweep a 160 kmph ball also, I'll do it. If I work a few years with him, I think I can touch the limit.' Jitesh has already extended the limits this IPL 2025 season. He and his team now need two more matches to reach the sky.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Innings of the IPL this season by a stretch: Moody on Jitesh's explosive knock
Jitesh Sharma's extraordinary knock against Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday (May 27, 2025) was easily the innings of the season 2025 by a stretch, gushed former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody. Stand-in skipper Jitesh pulled off a stunning 33-ball unbeaten 85 that carried his team Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the IPL Qualifier 1. When Jitesh arrived at the crease at the fall of Virat Kohli, RCB still needed 105 off 52 balls in a daunting chase of 228. Before Tuesday (May 27, 2025), Jitesh had not hit a half-century in IPL and when he did, he did it in style and produced a knock which will be talked about for time to come. Swinging like a pro, he sent the ball soaring over the ropes six times apart from hitting eight boundaries during his stay. "The innings is, for me, the innings of the IPL this season by a stretch. We've seen some great knocks from young and old, but this one, wow, quite remarkable," Moody told Cricinfo. "The team was totally against it — backs against the wall, Kohli in the sheds, (Phil) Salt in the sheds. There was significant headwind, but he just ignored it all and just took the game apart. "He not only took the game apart, he played smartly, just the way he went about it was like he'd been there and done it before many, many times," the Australian said. Jitesh and Mayank Agarawal added 107 for the unconquered fifth wicket to eke out a memorable victory. His effort overshadowed LSG skipper Rishabh Pant's 61-ball 118 that had led the hosts to 227 for three.
India Gazette
a day ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
"Innings of the IPL by a stretch": Tom Moody hails Jitesh Sharma's blazing 85 not out in RCB's stunning chase
New Delhi [India], May 28 (ANI): Jitesh Sharma's unbeaten 85 off just 33 balls may only rank 23rd on the list of highest individual scores in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, but for Tom Moody, it was the innings of the season. Walking in during the 12th over after Virat Kohli's dismissal, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were staring at an improbable chase of 228 but Jitesh, in the company of Mayank Agarwal, turned the game on its head with a brutal yet clever assault smashing six sixes and eight boundaries to wrap up the win with eight balls to spare. 'The innings is, for me, the innings of the IPL this season by a stretch,' Moody said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. He added, 'We've seen some great knocks from young and old, but this one, wow, quite remarkable! 'The team was totally against it - backs against the wall, Kohli in the sheds, (Phil) Salt in the sheds. There was significant headwind, but he just ignored it all and just took the game apart. He not only took the game apart, he played smartly, just the way he went about it was like he'd been there and done it before many, many times,' he said on ESPNcricinfo's Time Out. One of the most impressive aspects of Jitesh's innings was his ability to read and counter Rishabh Pant's field adjustments. He consistently found gaps, manipulating the field with precision to keep the scoreboard ticking and the pressure mounting on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). While he did enjoy slices of luck, surviving a run-out, benefiting from a no-ball reprieve, and narrowly avoiding another dismissal at the non-striker's end, his composure stood out. Abhinav Mukund, also on ESPNcricinfo's Time Out, pointed out that Jitesh seemed to have learnt from RCB's recent defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), where they let a strong position slip. This time, he made sure history didn't repeat itself, guiding his team to a statement win when it mattered most. 'And that's a great sign of any IPL cricketer, right?,' Abhinav said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. 'They were 172 for 3 in the last game, chasing 232, they got 189 all out. I know the wickets fell before him, but the pressure increased in the last game right after the timeout. I feared the same when he got out of that no-ball, but luck is a beautiful thing there. You get a reprieve and then you say, 'okay, this time I'm not making a mistake again,'' he added. 'That's exactly what happened. I'm very, very happy for Jitesh, but this is exactly what you're paying the big bucks for as a mid-order batter. And he's proven that a plenty. On a night when your top wicketkeeper or your World Cup wicketkeeper (Pant) gets a hundred and everyone's happy, this guy's got one better, I would think, with 85* off 33,' he noted. (ANI)
