'Maintained distance': Jitesh Sharma on sharing dressing room with Kohli
What's the story
Jitesh Sharma, the wicketkeeper-batter who was recently picked for India's Asia Cup squad, has opened up about his experience of sharing the dressing room with Virat Kohli at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The cricketer had a dream of lifting the Indian Premier League trophy alongside Kohli and Dinesh Karthik. His wish came true after RCB's victory in the tournament earlier this year.
Manifestation
'This was exactly what I wrote down'
Following RCB's IPL 2025 triumph in June, Jitesh took to Instagram to share a photo of himself with the IPL trophy, Kohli, and Karthik. He captioned it: "Power of Manifestation - Holding the IPL Trophy with Virat bhai on the left and DK Anna on the right." The cricketer revealed that when he joined RCB in March, he was told by the team to manifest something. "This was exactly what I wrote down," he said.
Intrigue
Kohli wanted to see fun side of Jitesh
During the IPL season, Kohli had expressed his curiosity about Jitesh's introverted personality. "One guy who is really funny but hasn't opened up with me is Jitesh," he said. "I would really want to see that fun, raw side of him because I can see it in his eyes that he has got that mischief about him."
Respect
Why Jitesh didn't speak much to Kohli
Despite Kohli's interest in his fun side, Jitesh kept a respectful distance due to his small-town upbringing. "Mere liye unse baat karni hi badi baat hai (For me, just talking to him is a big deal). I know Virat bhai's stature so I would try not to intrude on his personal space or bother him unnecessarily," he told TimesofIndia.com. "Out of respect I maintained my distance. I only wanted to have a meaningful conversation with him."
Achievement
Stellar IPL season earns Jitesh Asia Cup call-up
Jitesh played a key role in RCB's title-winning season, not just with his runs but also with an impressive strike rate of 176.35 while batting at positions six and seven. The wicketkeeper-batter hammered 261 runs at 37.28 in the season. His stellar performance has now earned him a spot in India's 15-member squad for the Asia Cup. He is now determined to replicate his heroics in Team India colors.