Jitesh Sharma breaks MS Dhoni’s batting record as captain in IPL after pulling off Lucknow heist

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Jitesh Sharma don’t have time to sit back and relax and let it sink in what the franchise and the stand-in skipper were able to pull off in Lucknow on Tuesday, May 28. It may be after the tournament, but Jitesh will realise a bit later what he actually did. The team just lost the wicket of Virat Kohli, the bossman and the leading run-getter of the side, chasing 228; there are more than 100 runs still needed in less than nine overs and Jitesh, who had a poor day as a captain in the field, walked in with a pressure load weighing 100 kgs.

The wicketkeeper-batter had his fair share of luck with a run-out being missed, a catch off a no-ball and a run-out at the non-striker’s end going in his favour but as they say, you create your own luck and Jitesh created his. Whether spinner or a pacer, Jitesh just kept hitting, he just kept going. It helped that he had a calming influence of Mayank Agarwal at the end, but Jitesh just didn’t stop. Jitesh brought his fifty off just 22 balls before the next 30 runs came off just 11 as the acting captain took his side home, playing one of the best knocks of his career.

Jitesh’s unbeaten 85 included eight fours and six sixes and was the best knock by an Indian captain in terms of strike rate in a winning cause, scoring 50-plus. Jitesh broke MS Dhoni’s record and found himself third on the elite list behind Faf du Plessis and Kieron Pollard. Among Indians, Jitesh is now at the top, followed by Dhoni in second place and Shreyas Iyer in third, fifth and seventh places. KL Rahul is also there somewhere in fourth place, with Dhoni featuring again in sixth position.

Highest strike rate by a captain in an innings in wins in IPL (50-plus scores)

278.26 – Faf du Plessis (RCB) vs GT (64 off 23) – Bengaluru, 2024

267.74 – Kieron Pollard (MI) vs KXIP (83 off 31) – Mumbai WS, 2019
257.57 – Jitesh Sharma (RCB) vs LSG (85* off 33) – Lucknow, 2025
255.00 – MS Dhoni (CSK) vs MI (51* off 20) – Bengaluru, 2012
242.85 – Adam Gilchrist (Deccan) vs DD (85 off 35) – Centurion, 2009
241.66 – Shreyas Iyer (KKR) vs SRH (58* off 24) – Ahmedabad, 2024

With Rajat Patidar still not fully fit because of his bruised finger, the regular RCB skipper is playing as an impact player, with Jitesh having to fulfil the leadership duties. In Tim David’s absence and Liam Livingstone not hitting as well as he and the team would have liked, Jitesh’s innings on Tuesday and the manner in which RCB won and qualified for the first qualifier would instil tremendous confidence in the side as they take on Punjab Kings on Thursday in Mullanpur. Jitesh’s innings completely overshadowed Rishabh Pant’s knock, who slammed his second IPL ton and first for LSG.