IPL 2025: Jitesh Sharma reveals how thoughts surrounding last year's T20 WC affected focus during previous IPL

Jitesh Sharma. (Photo Source: RCB)

In a recent discussion, revealed how excessive overthinking on his potential inclusion for India's T20 World Cup led him to be mentally absent while featuring in the previous year's Indian Premier League. Jitesh spent three years in the Punjab Kings camp before his services were secured by Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of the mega auction.  

The wicketkeeper-batter acknowledged that he could not fully put his mind into the IPL due to the aforementioned thoughts.

"Last year, because of the World Cup selection, I was not present in the IPL. So, in every game, I was thinking that I have to score, I have to score to get selected in the World Cup. I am not ashamed to accept it. I am a human. A human can make mistakes, and I have no problem with that. Last year, I was playing with my mind," shared Jitesh in a video shared by IPL.

As soon as the auction was over, I got a call from him: Jitesh

The 31-year-old also shared how current mentor and ex-RCB wicketkeeper-batter, Dinesh Karthik, offered psychological support once Jitesh was secured by RCB in the two-day mega auction in Jeddah in November last year.

"Then I spoke to DK, and I told him that these were the things I was playing with in my mind. My work with DK started after the auction. As soon as the auction was over, I got a call from him. He was saying, "this year, I am thinking so much for you that I know your strength'. So, he was talking mentally. When I was playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he was telling me to execute his pieces of advice during the games," added Jitesh.

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It seems as if Karthik's suggestions worked wonders for Jitesh. The middle-order batter struck at 225 in the six innings he featured in the SMAT, followed by a total of 183 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 112.96 in the VHT. Jitesh's latest knock for was a blinder of a 40-run cameo off 19 deliveries against Mumbai Indians.