The Royal Challengers Bangalore wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma has credited team mentor Dinesh Karthik for handholding him and helping him clear his muddled mind.
“I think last year’s performance was a mental thing. I’ve told everyone about that, because I was not mentally in the game at that moment. I was thinking too much about the future. But now, when I met Dinesh bhai, he told me that it’s a human error, it’s not rocket science. It can happen to anyone. So it’s fine,” said Jitesh, whose unbeaten 40 from 19 balls went a long way in RCB beating MI.
He went on to add, “When he saw how I try to dominate, how I look forward to all the games—he realised I’m someone who always looks to win. I don’t have a craze to get runs, I have a craze to win the match. I like that a lot. So he found out that there were some shots I was lacking. He pointed them out, and we’ve been working on that. We’re still in the process.”
The attacking Vidharbha batsman also touched upon RCB’s strategy for this season. “I think we are playing very smart cricket; it is not like we are just going out and whacking every bowler. We are playing smart cricket. We know everyone’s strengths, and our batting lineup knows each other very well. The team management has given us clear roles—like Jitesh Sharma will target certain bowlers, and the team will look after other bowlers. That’s the kind of strategy we have. So we are going very smartly. We are not trying to dominate blindly; we are making every decision thoughtfully.”
Jitesh also praised his team’s experienced pace pair of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood. “I think they are very experienced; there’s no need to tell them much. It’s about understanding the requirements during the game and knowing how to bowl according to the situation. That’s what we are doing. That’s what they are doing. They are not new players who don’t know how to develop their skills—they have everything. The management and administration have to plan properly and apply the skills. That’s what we’re doing. Both are enjoying their bowling really well. One is a swinger, the other is a hard-length hitter, but both are enjoying their cricket. I can tell you.”