Stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma said that batting coach Dinesh Karthik’s advice to “keep looking at the ball” and “play normal cricketing shots” was very helpful to him in hitting a breathtaking knock after his undefeated 85 off 33 balls helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeat the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets and secure a top two finish.

With eight balls remaining, RCB managed to chase down 228 thanks to Jitesh’s knock. As RCB prepared for their Qualifier 1 matchup with Punjab Kings at Mullanpur on Thursday, he also enjoyed an undefeated 107-run partnership with Mayank Agarwal, who hit 41 not out.

I was without a calculation. “Just keep looking at the ball and try to play normal cricketing shots,” DK told me when I talked with him. And play the game through to the very conclusion. I think you’ll win the game if you keep playing. I believe that preparedness is key. The previous day, we had spoken about each bowler. How can I help? Which body type am I looking for? In a video that was uploaded on iplt20.com, Jitesh said, “I was just trying to remind myself again and again.”

“I think he was controlling me and telling me what to do,” Jitesh said when asked about the guidance he received from Agarwal. I was in my zone, so he kept explaining what was happening in the game to me. He was leading me in the run pursuit and providing me the form.

After failing to finish a chase against Sunrisers Hyderabad, even though it was within their grasp, RCB pulled off the third-highest successful chase in IPL history. “When everything is going well, it’s important to have a speed breaker because when you are awake, you get a punch, you get to know where you are going wrong and what’s happening.”

“So, I wanted to express that I believe that last match was that for us. Then, as if this were a game of life or death, everyone was hungry, and their best effort was gradually showing,” Jitesh said.