Not desperate to play for India: Dinesh Karthik exposes Jitesh Sharma’s shocking mindset

Jitesh Sharma’s return to India’s T20I squad has been one of the most talked-about stories ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, starting on September 9 in the UAE. Jitesh Sharma has forced his way back into the national setup with his stunning performances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during their IPL 2025 victorious campaign earlier this year.

The explosive Indian wicketkeeper-batter, who turned heads with his fearless strokeplay in the IPL 2025, was a revelation in the lower middle order for RCB during their maiden title victory after 17 years. He confidently played the role of finisher for the franchise.

Jitesh Sharma returns to India’s squad for Asia Cup 2025

Jitesh produced quick-fire knocks that often turned the tide in his team’s favor. His calm presence under pressure and ability to attack from ball one made him one of the most dangerous finishers in the T20Is and earned him a place in the Asia Cup 2025 squad.

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Meanwhile, RCB’s batting coach Dinesh Karthik, who had also mastered the art of finishing in T20 cricket himself, guided Jitesh on how to pace an innings, switch gears, and close out games with authority. Karthik’s guidance unlocked a more destructive version of Jitesh.

How Dinesh Karthik’s guidance helped Jitesh Sharma shine as a finisher for RCB

Dinesh Karthik was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz, “Jitesh Sharma was never someone who was desperate to play for India. And he was very free, and he went about playing very confidently for Punjab Kings and then made it to the Indian team. And then he knew that he was on the fringes. That's when he became desperate. That kind of filtered into his performances.”

He added, “What he wanted to work on was how do I finish a game? How do I get the team to be above par? So, he was playing a lot of cameos, never knowing how to get that big inning that was required to win a game or take the team far in the first inning. I kind of know what it takes to do that. With the skills he had, there was so much potential that I just needed to unlock it.”

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This was evident in the 31-year-old batter’s blistering knock of 85* off just 33 balls against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). His knock helped RCB to successfully chase a record target of 228 inside 19 overs and made it to the IPL 2025 finals, where they crushed Punjab Kings (PBKS) to lift the trophy.

Jitesh Sharma eyes Asia Cup 2025 breakthrough after stellar IPL 2025 season

Jitesh piled up 261 runs in 11 innings at a staggering strike rate of 176.35 and an average of 37.28 in the IPL 2025. His consistency and ability to finish games were instrumental in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s successful campaign.

However, the Indian wicketkeeper is yet to cement his place in India’s T20I side, having scored only 100 runs in seven games so far. But the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 offers a golden chance for Jitesh to show his fierceness on the big stage in the UAE.

India will kick off its campaign against the UAE on September 10, with the big game against Pakistan scheduled on September 14 in Dubai.