I'm very, very happy for Jitesh – Abhinav Mukund heaps praise on RCB captain for match-winning knock against LSG

Jitesh Sharma’s marvellous innings of 85* against LSG got the cricketing world buzzing. Sharma walked out to bat at a very tricky juncture and needed to come up with a solid counterblast in order to steady the ship for RCB. Not only did he play the role of an aggressor but his partnership with Mayank Agarawal ensured that RCB eventually got across the line.

Talking on the ESPNCricinfo Timeout, Indian cricketer Abhinav Mukund opened up on how Jitesh Sharma’s knock against LSG defined RCB’s dominance. He also explained how RCB learnt their lesson from their last game against SRH and instead of wilting under the pump, they fought back like true warriors.

Mukund said, “And that's a great sign of any IPL cricketer, right? They were 172 for 3 in the last game, chasing 232, they got 189 all out. I know the wickets fell before him, but the pressure increased in the last game right after the timeout. I feared the same when he got out of that no-ball, but luck is a beautiful thing there. You get a reprieve and then you say, 'okay, this time I'm not making a mistake again.’”

He further added, “That's exactly what happened. I'm very, very happy for Jitesh, but this is exactly what you're paying the big bucks for as a mid-order batter. And he's proven that a plenty. On a night when your top wicketkeeper or your World Cup wicketkeeper [Pant] gets a hundred and everyone's happy, this guy's got one better, I would think, with 85* off 33."