New Delhi: Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma He caused a stir with his candid remarks about Pakistan, giving a blunt assessment of the arch-rivals as he discussed the psychological aspects of a high-pressure clash ahead of IPL 2026.The Royal Challengers Bangalore stopper spoke on Ranveer Alabadia’s podcast about whether Indian players get emotional when facing Pakistan. “Wahi control karne ki baat hai (This is what we have to control),” he said, stressing the importance of remaining calm during marquee encounters.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!What caught people’s attention, however, was his unfiltered view of how India now views Pakistan. “Nahi, itna dete hi nahi important unko. Itna dil pe aur dimaag pe lagate hi nahi hai (We don’t give them that much importance),” Jitesh said, drawing laughter in the conversation.He went a step further when comparing opponents, stating that teams like Australia and South Africa pose a bigger challenge. “South Africa, Australia are challenging teams because they play good cricket. Yes log [Pakistan] It’s a good thing you’re not playing cricket,” he added.There is no emotion when playingJitesh also revealed the approach instilled by head coach Gautam Gambhir ahead of the big game against Pakistan. “We don’t have to play with emotions. Emotions can cause us to lose the game. So, let us win the game and then express the emotion of karna hai karenge,” he said.He explained that the focus is on keeping a cool head during the game and letting the performances do the talking before any celebrations.Live moments and reactionsRecalling the on-field moments, Jitesh spoke about imitating Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed’s celebrations with teammates Arsdeep Singh and Harshit Rana after the Asia Cup match. “Isne Sanju bhai ko out karke aisa kiya. Toh woh cheez hum logon ko pasand nahi aayi toh, humne woh kiya (He did this after sacking Sanju Samson and we didn’t like it so we gave it back),” he explained.As IPL 2026 kicks off with Royal Challengers Bangalore taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opener, Jitesh’s comments have already spiced up the proceedings – giving us a rare glimpse into how modern Indian players deal with one of cricket’s toughest rivalries.
