In a major domestic cricket shift, Jitesh Sharma’s arrival in Baroda after an 11-year-long journey with Vidarbha was reportedly in development for a long while. The wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh, who is a star player from defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has been officially transferred from Vidarbha to Baroda ahead of the 2025–26 season of the Ranji Trophy.
The 31-year-old ends an 11-year stint with Vidarbha, where he was part of the setup since 2013. He used to be featured in Vidarbha’s Test squads under Karun Nair. After playing his debut match in 2015-16, he became part of just 18 first-class matches during the last 10 seasons.
Jitesh struggled for consistent Test match opportunities at Vidarbha, with Akshay Wadkar leading the side and serving as the primary wicketkeeper. Vidarbha sidelined him for approximately 18 months as he last played a first-class match in January 2024 and has featured in only 18 matches in the format, scoring 733 runs at an average of 24.48 with four fifties.
The move is being regarded as an opportunity for Jitesh to revamp his first-class career. His transfer is believed to have been influenced by his strong rapport with Baroda captain Krunal Pandya, a teammate in RCB. The duo was part of RCB’s maiden IPL title win in 2025, where Jitesh impressed as a finisher and also captained the team as a stand-in skipper in Rajat Patidar’s absence. Even though he has been missing out on red-ball matches, he still made a significant mark in T20 cricket.
Jitesh Sharma Domestic Career Stats:
| Format | Mat | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg | Sr | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Catches | Stumpings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC | 18 | 27 | 661 | 69 | 24.48 | 54.71 | 0 | 4 | 86 | 10 | 56 | 5 |
| List A | 56 | 49 | 1533 | 107 | 32.61 | 81.97 | 2 | 8 | 159 | 32 | 55 | 11 |
| T20s | 141 | 127 | 2886 | 106 | 27.22 | 152.29 | 1 | 11 | 268 | 141 | 99 | 18 |
Internationally, Jitesh has played nine T20Is for India, scoring 100 runs with a strike rate of 147.05, including a best of 35 vs Australia in December 2023. His maiden call-up was marked in the Asian Games, held in October 2023. His recent IPL form, including a match-winning 85 against Lucknow Super Giants, has brought him back into the limelight.
Meanwhile, his RCB teammate Swapnil Singh is set to shift from Uttarakhand to Tripura, after picking up 18 wickets in the last Ranji Trophy season.
Baroda will be hopeful that Jitesh’s arrival boosts their red-ball setup after a mixed 2024–25 season.
