Bengaluru: Cricket was not the dream. Not even a fleeting thought. For Jitesh Sharma, the plan was set – join the NDA, wear a different kind of uniform in the Air Force. But fate, as often in sport, had different ideas.
“I was in the 10th standard. I wanted to make myself for the NDA. One day a friend said:” Let’s do a cricket test version. We’ll get 4 percent additional grades, “recalls Jitesh with a smile. At that moment, Cricket was only a means for an academic end. When he noticed that ‘Wicketkeeper’ had the fewest names on the registration list, Jitesh – together with two friends – chose it. And unknown a future.
Today Jitesh Sharma is not only great as a reliable Wicketkeeper Batsman, but as a belief in his hometown Amravati. “I think I’m the first boy who played from Amravati for India,” he says. “When I go back, I give others the same belief – if I can, everyone can.”
His rise through the ranks brought him to Royal Challengers Bangalore, a franchise with one of the most passionate fan bases in the country. “When I played at the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, people called after RCB. Then I realized that it was not a little thing that I came to RCB,” he says, surprised by the sea of fans who took on his autograph.
But it is the role of the finisher in which Jitesh really found his niche – even if it was pursuing at the expense of personal milestones. “I used to be an opener. I achieved fifty and centuries. As a finisher, I did not achieve fifty. But 10 balls, 30 runs. 20 balls, 40 runs – that has become our 50. And I am happy when the team wins.”
This humility and the team-guide posture have not been unnoticed. Especially not from Dinesh Karthik, who looked after Jitesh with admiration. “He is always hungry to learn. He calls me ‘Anna’. He tries everything I suggest. When I work with him for a year or two, I have the feeling that I can touch the limits with him,” says Karthik.
As a Wicketkeeper, Jitesh finds a different thrill behind the stumps while reading the game. “The biggest advantage of stopping is that you don’t run, so your energy is saved – but your mind is getting tired. You can read the pitch, the bowl, the batteries. I’m staying for 240 balls. That enjoys cricket.”
In every respect, Jitesh Sharma defines what it means to get up – without blueprint, without a plan, only raw hunger, resilience and the guidance of a mentor that saw the spark. From NDA dreams to the put on Indian jerseys, his journey is a story about how chance, choice and a little belief can change everything.
