Even as he couldn't believe he executed a match-winning knock, Jitesh Sharma revealed that his "mentor and guru" Dinesh Karthik’s advice spurred him to finish off Royal Challengers Bengaluru's record-shattering chase against Lucknow Super Giants in the concluding group stage match of the 18th season of the IPL, in Lucknow, on Tuesday.
During their pursuit of an intimidating 228-run target, RCB were reduced to 123 for 4 after losing 'Chase Master' Virat Kohli in the 12th over, but Jitesh arrived at the crease and joined hands with Mayank Agarwal to figure out a blueprint for their record heist in the tournament's history.
With a rollicking display with the bat, the team’s stand-in skipper left spectators enchanted, scoring an unbeaten 85 from a mere 33 deliveries, while striking handsomely at 257.58, his best in the cash-rich league's history.
While forging an unbeaten 107-run partnership with Mayank, Jitesh battled cramps, but held firm to help the team cross the line.
He promised that the pair would carry forward the momentum into the next match.
"I will not be able to express my thoughts! I can't believe I played that knock. When Virat bhai was out, I was just thinking of taking it deep. As my mentor and guru Dinesh [Karthik] anna says, just take it deep," said Jitesh, at the post-match presentation.
Jitesh certainly had fortune on his side. In the 17th over, RCB almost lost him twice. He dispatched the first ball into Ayush Badoni's hands, but the bowler, Digvesh Rathi, had crossed the return crease with his back foot, resulting in a no-ball.
On the next delivery, he muscled the ball away into the stands to bring up his maiden fifty in the IPL.
The game-defining moment came on the final delivery of the over when Digvesh caught Jitesh short of the crease at the non-striker's end. The bails ignited before Jitesh's bat crossed the crease, but he remained not out after Lucknow captain Rishabh Pant withdrew the appeal.
"I was getting cramps because all the load was on me! I have Virat bhai, Krunal bhai and Bhuvi bhai with me. I feel excited that I'm playing with them. We want to enjoy the moment. But we'll try to recover well. We'll look to carry the momentum into the next match," he added.
RCB's record-defining chase kept their flawless away run intact, paving the way for a top-two finish for the first time since 2016.
In seven fixtures away from home, Bengaluru remained unscathed and emerged victorious in each one, making them the first side to achieve the feat in the tournament's history.
As they now shift their focus towards their impending date with Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on Thursday, Jitesh confirmed Josh Hazlewood is in contention to return to on-field action after recovering from a shoulder niggle.
"Credit goes to Rajat (Patidar). I was responsible for maintaining his record. Hazlewood will perhaps play in the knock-out. We have a strong belief system. We have match-winners. Look at our playing eleven, and we have match-winners," he concluded.
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