New Delhi: Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma Discussing the mental side of the high-pressure clash ahead of IPL 2026, has caused a stir with his candid remarks about Pakistan, bluntly assessing the arch-rivals.Speaking on a podcast with Ranveer Al-Habadiya, the Royal Challengers Bangalore finisher addressed whether Indian players get emotional when facing Pakistan. “It’s a matter of control (that’s what we have to control),” he said, underscoring the importance of courage in marquee competitions.
Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!However, it was his unfiltered take on how India now views Pakistan that grabbed attention. “No, they don’t give it importance. They don’t put so much on the heart and mind,” Jitesh said with a laugh during the conversation.He went a step further by comparing the opposing sides and said that teams like Australia and South Africa are a big challenge. “South Africa, Australia are challenging teams because they play good cricket. [Pakistan] Not playing cricket well,” he added.Playing without emotionJitesh also revealed the approach adopted by head coach Gautam Gambhir before the big games against Pakistan. “We don’t need to play with emotions. If we play with emotions, we can lose. So let’s win the game and then we will say what we have to say,” he said.The emphasis, he explained, is to stay level-headed during the game and let the performance do the talking before any celebrations.On-field moments and reactionsReflecting on a moment on the field, Jitesh spoke about imitating Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed’s celebration with teammates Arsdeep Singh and Harshit Rana after an Asia Cup match. “He did it to get Sanju bhai out? So we didn’t like that thing, we did that (he did it after Sanju fired Samson, and we didn’t like it, so we put him back),” he explained.As IPL 2026 gets underway, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opener, Jitesh’s comments have already added spice to the build-up – offering a rare glimpse into how modern Indian players approach one of cricket’s fiercest rivals.
