Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 28 : Royal Challengers Bengaluru stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma, who couldn't believe he executed a match-winning knock, revealed the message of his "mentor and guru" Dinesh Karthik, which allowed him to finish off a record-shattering chase against Lucknow Super Giants in the final group stage game of the 18th season of the IPL.
During Bengaluru's pursuit of an intimidating 228-run target, RCB was threadbare at 123/4 after losing its 'Chase Master' Virat Kohli in the 12th over. Jitesh arrived at the crease and joined hands with Mayank Agarwal to figure out a blueprint for RCB's successful heist in the tournament's history.
With a rollicking display with the bat, Jitesh left the spectators enchanted with his 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 and promised that they 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," Jitesh said in the post-match presentation.
Jitesh certainly had fortune on his side. In the 17th over, RCB almost lost Jitesh twice. He dispatched the ball on the first ball into Badoni's hands, but Digvesh 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 has 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. I was responsible for maintaining his record. Hazlewood will perhaps play in the knockout. We have a strong belief system. We have match winners. Look at our playing XI, and we have match winners," he concluded.
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