NEW DELHI :Jitesh Sharma admits to being dazzled by the big-name players in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru dressing room at first but the stumper-batter proved he deserves his place among them after propelling his team into an Indian Premier League qualifier.
The stand-in captain’s unbeaten 85 off 33 balls on Tuesday helped Bengaluru chase down a 228-run target for a six-wicket win against Lucknow Super Giants in their final group match.
That victory made Bengaluru the first IPL side to win all seven away matches in the group stage, and they will face Punjab Kings in the first qualifier on Thursday.
Leading Bengaluru in the absence of injured skipper Rajat Patidar, Jitesh’s sparkling knock overshadowed teammate Virat Kohli’s fluent fifty and Lucknow captain Rishabh Pant’s blistering hundred.
“I was getting cramps because of the pressure and responsibility on my shoulders,” the 31-year-old said with a smile.
“This is a very big franchise and I am enjoying the pressure.
“When I see players like Virat and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, I feel both pressure and excitement, that I am getting to play with them.
“I have now learnt to enjoy this pressure.”
Bengaluru were 123-4 when Kohli (54) departed but Jitesh, who has played seven T20 Internationals, stayed put to ensure they prevailed with eight balls to spare.
He said Bengaluru mentor Dinesh Karthik had helped him believe in his own ability and provided clarity about his role.
“My mentor tells me I have the calibre to finish a game if I can take it deep. A lot of credit goes to him,” he added.
The winner of Thursday’s qualifier in Mullanpur will advance to the final in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. The losing side can still join them in the final by beating the winner of Friday’s eliminator between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians.
