Jitesh Sharma Profile, Career & Stats

Hailing from Amaravati, Maharashtra, Jitesh Sharma is a right-handed wicket-keeper batter. Born on October 22, 1993, he broke into the Vidarbha side in the 2013-14 season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) based on his strong performances in the Cooch Behar Trophy.

Jitesh made his List-A debut against Rajasthan at Jaipur in February 2014. He played at the top of the order for Vidarbha for the first few seasons. However, the turning point came in Sharma's career when he had an excellent outing in the 2015-16 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). The Amaravati-based batter piled up 343 runs with a strike rate of 143, with one century and a couple of half-centuries.

In the SMAT 2022, Jitesh Sharma was one of the most consistent batters in the competition, taking his game to another level. He scored 214 runs from 8 matches with an average of 53.20 and a mind-blowing strike rate of 235.16, and he displayed great six-hitting skills in the competition. So after that impressive outing in SMAT, many IPL scouting teams got their radar on the wicket-keeper batter.

Jitesh Sharma IPL Career

Jitesh Sharma’s impressive outing in the SMAT caught the eye of the Mumbai Indians (MI) scouting unit, as they picked him up in the 2016 IPL auction at the price of INR 10 lakhs. However, he did not get a chance to play until the Punjab Kings gave him a chance in 2022.

The wicket-keeper batter quickly established a reputation as one of the most reliable finishers in the country. Recognising his elite striking ability and specialised role, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) acquired him for a massive INR 11 Crore during the 2025 mega auction. 

He immediately justified the investment during RCB's historic 2025 championship-winning season, amassing 261 runs in 15 matches at a staggering strike rate of over 176, highlighted by a match-winning, unbeaten 85. 

Acknowledging his instrumental role as a lower-order enforcer and frontline wicketkeeper, the franchise officially retained him ahead of the 2026 season.

Jitesh Sharma International Career

After impressing in the IPL, Jitesh Sharma received his maiden India call-up in January 2023 against Sri Lanka for the T20I series. However, he did not get a chance.

Eventually, the RCB batter made his international debut for India in a T20I match against Nepal on October 3, 2023, during the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Sharma’s career further expanded when he got a chance for the Australia T20I series, the same year. Notably, in the fourth game of the series, Jitesh Sharma scored 35 runs off 19 balls, followed by 24 off 16 in the 5th, helping India win the series.

In 2025, he was named in India’s squad for the Asia Cup and later named the captain of the emerging India Asia Cup team. He led the side to a semi-final appearance, where they lost to Bangladesh A in a Super Over.

Jitesh Sharma was dropped from India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad due to a last-minute team combination change, which he described as heartbreaking yet ultimately accepted. 

(As of April 2026)