Jitesh Sharma faces criticism after horror runs in IPL 2026 Jitesh Sharma’s difficult IPL 2026 season continued as the RCB wicketkeeper-batsman failed yet again, drawing criticism from former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu for his prolonged poor form and technical issues.After emerging as one of RCB’s biggest positives in IPL 2025, Jitesh has endured a dramatic decline this season. He managed just 63 runs in his first seven innings of IPL 2026 and faced heavy criticism for both his low strike rate and his inability to finish games. The franchise retained him as their first-choice wicketkeeper after his impressive 2025 campaign in which he scored 261 runs at a strike rate of 176.35. However, his numbers have plummeted this season, with his average dropping to around 10.40 after the opening phase of the tournament.Jitesh’s reputation against Lucknow Super Giants was largely built on his sensational knock during IPL 2025. On 27 May 2025, he smashed an unbeaten 85 off just 33 deliveries to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru chase down a daunting target of 228 runs. The innings broke MS Dhoni’s record for the highest score of 6 or lower in a successful IPL chase and played a major role in RCB finishing second in the points table.
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Is everything wrong with Suryakumar Yadav’s wrist? | Exclusive visualsBut this season, at the same venue and against the same opposition, the script has completely changed. Jitesh managed just 1 run off 3 balls in a high-pressure chase of 213, with RCB eventually suffering a nine-run defeat by DLS. His dismissal drew criticism from fans and pundits alike, with many questioning his awareness of the game in crunch situations.Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s Timeout show, Rayudu expressed concern over Jitesh’s technical issues, especially against short pace bowling.“I think he had a great opportunity to come back sharp after the little break they had, but he seems to be coming on late with the short balls. That’s an area he could have worked on in that gap and I don’t think he did. The same thing happens over and over again and it’s not a good sign because the IPL games come really fast. If you have a weakness that’s as deep as we see it in the tournament, it’s difficult. there’s not a lot of training and not a lot time,” said Rayudu.Jitesh has particularly struggled with pace this season. He was dismissed seven times by fast bowlers in eight innings while scoring just 28 runs against the pace at an average of just four. An old comment that Jitesh made during an appearance on AB de Villiers’ YouTube channel last year also resurfaced to fan backlash, where he jokingly said:“You’re not going to believe me, but I always pray to God that my top order breaks down so I can bat and score.
