The Headline
Jitesh Sharma's explosive 85* leads RCB to record IPL chase and Qualifier 1
I won’t be able to express my thoughts. I still cannot believe that I played such an innings. I was trying to stay in the moment and watch the ball as closely as possible. I wasn’t thinking of anything at that time. When got out, I decided to take the game deep. Like my mentor, guru Anna told me, ‘Any situation, you have to take the game deep, and you have the calibre that you can finish the game anytime.'
Jitesh Sharma
RCB stand-in captain
Jitesh Sharma is a special cricketer. He worked really hard in the offseason. He's put in a lot of work to understand how to chase big totals and how to stay calm in those kinds of situations.
Dinesh Karthik
RCB batting coach
'Not out because Rishabh Pant said no, we don't need this wicket even though Jitesh Sharma was out of his crease.'
Deep Dasgupta
former India wicketkeeper
1
Key Facts
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured a spot in IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 by defeating Lucknow Super Giants with a six-wicket win, powered by Jitesh Sharma's unbeaten 85 off 33 balls including eight boundaries and six sixes.
+14 - Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) set a target of 228 runs, thanks to Rishabh Pant's unbeaten 118 off 61 balls, the most expensive player in IPL auction history.2
- Jitesh Sharma and his partner stitched a 107-run partnership for the fifth wicket, pivotal in RCB's successful chase.1
- RCB's win marked their seventh consecutive away victory in IPL 2025, setting a new IPL record for most away wins in a single league campaign.
- In a rare moment of sportsmanship, Rishabh Pant withdrew a run-out appeal against Jitesh Sharma, who was later ruled not out by the third umpire due to MCC regulations on non-striker run-outs.
2
- RCB finished second in the IPL 2025 points table with 19 points and a net run rate of +0.301, securing a spot in Qualifier 1 against Punjab Kings.
- RCB bought Jitesh Sharma for ₹11 crore at the IPL 2025 auction despite his forgettable 2024 season with Punjab Kings where he scored five single-digit scores in twelve innings.
- Jitesh Sharma has a career strike rate of 192.07 during death overs (16-20) in IPL matches and is one of just four Indian batters with over 100 T20 innings and a career strike rate above 150.
Key Stats at a Glance
Jitesh Sharma's unbeaten score in IPL 2025 Qualifier 1
85 runs
Balls faced by Jitesh Sharma in IPL 2025 Qualifier 1
33 balls
Fifth wicket partnership runs between Jitesh Sharma and partner
107 runs
1
Rishabh Pant's unbeaten score in IPL 2025 match
118 runs
1
Balls faced by Rishabh Pant in IPL 2025 match
61 balls
1
Lucknow Super Giants total runs in IPL 2025 match
227 runs
1
Jitesh Sharma's boundaries in IPL 2025 match
8 boundaries
Jitesh Sharma's sixes in IPL 2025 match
6 sixes
RCB consecutive away wins in IPL 2025
7 wins
RCB position in IPL 2025 points table
2nd
Jitesh Sharma's IPL 2025 auction price
₹11 crore
Number of Indian batters with over 100 T20 innings and strike rate above 150
4 players
Jitesh Sharma's career strike rate during death overs in IPL
192.1
