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‘Big Talk, No Performance’: Jitesh Sharma Faces Anger over Persistent Batting Struggles in IPL 2026

Sanjeev Kumar | May 1, 2026 2:23 AM CST

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Jitesh Sharma is under heavy scrutiny for his continued batting failures in IPL 2026, particularly after the match against the Gujarat Titans. His inability to perform in the finisher role has led to widespread criticism from fans on social media, who are questioning his place in the team.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has come under heavy scrutiny following another batting failure in the IPL 2026 clash against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday, April 30.

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After being put into bat first by GT captain Shubman Gill, RCB were bundled out for 155 in 19.2 overs. Devdutt Padikkal led the batting with an innings of 40 off 24 balls, while Virat Kohli (28), Rajat Patidar (19), Shepherd (17), Venkatesh Iyer (12), and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (15) contributed in patches, but failed to post a challenge total.

For GT, Arshad Khan led the batting with figures of 3/22 at an economy rate of 6.60 in 6.2 overs. Jason Holder (2/29) and Rashid Khan (2/19) also chipped in with two wickets each, as the hosts tightened their grip on the contest with a disciplined bowling effort.

Jitesh Sharma’s Batting Struggles Continue

Jason Holder’s controversial catch of Rajat Patidar might have grabbed attention, but the continued batting struggles of Jitesh Sharma once again came under the scanner, with the wicketkeeper-batter failing to deliver a meaningful contribution in another disappointing outing for RCB in IPL 2026.

Jitesh featured in all nine matches, including the clash against the Gujarat Titans, as a designated wicketkeeper-batter, but failed to make any significant impact with his batting. In the first four outings, the 32-year-old registered the scores of 0, 5, 10, and 23 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians, and Lucknow Super Giants, respectively.

In the next three outings, Jitesh scored 14, 10, and 1 against Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans, respectively. He didn’t get to bat in the matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals. In seven matches where he got a chance to bat, Jitesh managed just 63 runs in total at an average of 9.

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The pattern of inconsistent batting by Jitesh Sharma has apparently been concerning, as the responsibility of finishing innings has repeatedly slipped away from him. Jitesh has often been tasked with a finisher role in the middle order, but his inability to accelerate or convert starts into impactful cameos has added to RCB’s concerns over their lower-order reliability in IPL 2026.

‘Jitesh Is Responsible for Today’s Loss’

Jitesh Sharma’s persistent batting failures once again drew heavy criticism on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), with fans and cricket enthusiasts blaming his poor form in the middle order and labelling his returns as disappointing and costly for RCB in IPL 2026.

Taking to their X handles, fans and cricket enthusiasts slammed Jitesh’s poor form, with many criticising his ‘big talk, no performance’ attitude, referencing his conversation on AB de Villiers’ YouTube channel, where he spoke about hoping for top-order collapses so he could get a chance to bat, which further fuelled his backlash over repeated failures.

Others called for his exclusion from the playing XI, stating that his batting has been a liability for RCB this IPL season, while many labelled his performance as one of the key reasons behind the team’s middle-order struggles in IPL 2026.

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Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru lost to Gujarat Titans by four wickets after the hosts chased down a 156-run target in 15.5 overs. GT skipper Shubman Gill led the run chase with a knock of 43 off 18 balls, while Jos Buttler played an innings of 39 off 19 balls, both batting at a strike rate of over 200.

Rahul Tewatia guided the middle order with an unbeaten innings of 27 off 17 balls to help the Gujarat Titans chase down the target with 25 balls to spare. For RCB, Bhuvneshwar Kumar led the bowling attack with a spell of 3/28 at an economy rate of 7.00 in his quota of four overs.