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Royal Challengers Bengaluru wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma is going through a tough IPL 2026 season with the bat. Even though he has played all eight matches for a strong RCB side, he has only managed 64 runs so far. His struggles continued in the recent game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), where RCB suffered their second straight defeat. Jitesh once again failed to make an impact, which led to criticism of his form.
Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu also pointed out that Jitesh seems to be struggling with short-pitched deliveries and hasn’t shown enough improvement in that area.
"I think he (Jitesh) had a great opportunity to come back sharp after the small break that they had, but he just seems to be getting late on short balls. That's an area he could have worked on in this gap, and I don't think he did," Rayudu said, speaking on ESPNcricinfo.
"The same thing is happening again and again, and it's not a good sign because IPL matches come really fast. If you have a weakness that is as profound as what we are seeing with Jitesh, it becomes very hard to compensate for it or improve during the tournament because there are not many practice sessions and not much time now," he added.
Jitesh was bought by RCB for ₹11 crore, and last season, he had delivered a memorable knock of 85 not out off 33 balls against LSG at the same venue, helping RCB win the match. But this year, in the same fixture, he could only score 1 run as his team lost by 9 runs.
So far in IPL 2026, his strike rate has dropped to 108.47, which is a big fall from last season’s impressive 176.35. His highest score this year is just 23.
RCB's Qualification Scenario for IPL 2026
Despite the LSG's defeat, RCB are the are in a strong position to qualify with 12 points from 10 games and the best Net Run Rate (NRR). They need 2 wins from their final 4 matches to secure 16 points, making them safe, while 3-4 wins guarantee a Top-2 finish.