Jitesh Sharma Critiques Pakistan Ahead of IPL 2026

Ahead of IPL 2026, Jitesh Sharma has made headlines with his critical remarks about Pakistan's cricket performance. Following their early exit from the T20 World Cup and a series defeat to Bangladesh, Sharma emphasizes India's focus on composure and strategy rather than emotions when facing their rivals. He believes that teams like South Africa and Australia present a greater challenge than Pakistan, who he claims are not playing well. As the IPL season approaches, Sharma is set to return to action with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, aiming to make an impact in the tournament.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 27, 2026, 17:26 IST

Jitesh Sharma's Bold Remarks on Pakistan

As the IPL 2026 approaches, set to kick off on March 28, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has made some pointed comments about Pakistan. The Pakistan cricket team recently faced backlash after their disappointing exit from the T20 World Cup 2026 and a series loss to Bangladesh.

Limited Encounters with Pakistan

In his international career, Jitesh Sharma has only played against Pakistan twice, during the Emerging Stars Asia Cup last year. Although he was part of the Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2025, he did not face Pakistan in any of the matches, including the group stage and finals.

India's Dominance in Recent Matches

During the T20 World Cup 2026, India faced Pakistan in the group stage, where they secured a convincing 61-run victory at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, reinforcing their strong performance in this prestigious tournament.

Jitesh's Insights on Emotional Control

On the Beer Biceps Podcast, host Ranveer Allahbadia inquired if Indian players feel emotional when facing Pakistan. Jitesh emphasized the importance of maintaining composure, stating, 'That's something we have to control.' He further remarked that the team does not place significant importance on their rivals.

He stated, 'Nahi, itna dete hi nahi importance unko.' (We don’t give much importance to them.) He added, 'Itna dil pe aur dimaag pe lagata hi nahi hai.' (We don’t take them seriously.)

Pakistan's Recent Struggles

Since their defeat in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, India has dominated ICC tournaments, winning six matches against Pakistan, including the group stages of the 2022, 2024, and 2026 T20 World Cups, as well as the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups. The only loss came during the 2021 T20 World Cup group stage.

Comparative Analysis of Teams

Jitesh Sharma expressed that teams like South Africa and Australia pose a greater challenge compared to Pakistan, who he believes are currently not performing well. He stated, 'South Africa and Australia are challenging teams because they play good cricket. Pakistan aren’t playing good cricket.'

Criticism of Pakistan's Strategy

Following Pakistan's early exit from the T20 World Cup and their ODI series loss to Bangladesh, former cricketers criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board and team management for inadequate planning and poor team selection. Their batting strategy in T20 cricket has also come under fire for being outdated and ineffective.

Team India's Focus on Winning

Jitesh Sharma shared insights into Team India's strategy under head coach Gautam Gambhir, emphasizing that they do not play with emotions against Pakistan. He stated, 'We don't have to play with emotions. If we play with emotions, we might lose. Let’s win the game, and then we can express ourselves afterward.'

Jitesh's Upcoming Matches

Although Jitesh Sharma was not part of the squad that defended the T20 World Cup title, he is set to return to action when Royal Challengers Bengaluru faces Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opener at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28.