IPL 2025: Jitesh Sharma’s Unbeaten 85 Against LSG is the Innings of the Season, Says Tom Moody

New Delhi: Former Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Tom Moody has hailed Jitesh Sharma’s unbeaten 85 as the standout innings of IPL 2025. The explosive knock powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), securing a top-two finish for the team.

Playing at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, Jitesh smashed six sixes and eight fours in a sensational innings that helped RCB chase down 228 — the third-highest successful run chase in the franchise’s history. The victory also ensured RCB became the first team in IPL history to win all seven of their away matches in a single season. With this win, they advanced to face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on Thursday.

“For me, this was by far the innings of the season,” said Moody on ESPNCricinfo. “We’ve seen some incredible performances from players young and old, but this one stood out. The team was under serious pressure — Kohli was gone, Salt was gone — and Jitesh just dismantled the game.

“He not only took the attack to the bowlers, but he did it with incredible composure and intelligence. It was like he had been in that situation a hundred times before.”

Former India batter Abhinav Mukund also praised Jitesh for learning from previous mistakes — notably RCB’s loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad — while highlighting the role of luck in his innings. Jitesh survived a run-out scare, was reprieved by a no-ball, and narrowly avoided being run out at the non-striker’s end off Digvesh Rathi.

“That’s the mark of a quality IPL player,” said Mukund. “In their last game, RCB were 172 for 3 chasing 232 and still got bowled out for 189. The pressure crept in after the timeout. I feared the same might happen when Jitesh got that no-ball reprieve, but he made the most of his second chance.

“I’m really happy for him. This is exactly why teams invest in middle-order batters like him — for moments like this. On a night when your World Cup wicketkeeper (LSG captain Rishabh Pant) scores a century and grabs headlines, Jitesh outshone everyone with his 85 off just 33 balls.”

With inputs from IANS