'I Pray For Top Order Collapse': Jitesh Sharma’s Interview Aged Like Milk In IPL 2026

What began as a fearless talk ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has come back to bite Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Jitesh Sharma royally. Sharma, the explosive lower-middle-order T20 batter, couldn’t contribute much to the scoreboard when the defending champions, RCB, were tasked to chase Lucknow Super Giants’ 209/3 in the rain-reduced thriller at the Ekana Stadium on Thursday.

RCB had a rocky start, losing both their openers, Jacob Bethell and Virat Kohli, in the first 8 balls of the run chase. Rajat Patidar (61 off 31) and Devdutt Padikkal (34 off 25) managed to revive the chase with a sturdy 96-run partnership. After their departure in close succession, it was on Sharma to continue the race to the target. However, the 32-year-old

wicketkeeper-batter was undone for a 3-ball 1 by Prince Yadav. Impact player Tim David’s 40 off 17, along with Krunal Pandya (28* off 16), and Romario Shepherd (23* off 15) kept the fight alive, but a final tight over by Digvesh Rathi left RCB achingly short by 9 runs.

As the bottom-placed LSG served RCB a shocking defeat in a nail-biting IPL encounter, all eyes were back on Sharma, who had famously said that he had prayed for the top-order collapse for him to take command of the run-chase.

‘I Pray To God, Let My Top Order Collapse’

Appearing on AB de Villiers’ YouTube channel, Sharma had spoken about his duties as the RCB’s go-to finisher. He expressed that the batting collapse at the top meant he could use the opportunity to become a hero for his side. He wanted to do something magical, he added.

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“You won’t believe, I always pray to God, let my top order get collapsed and I can bat and score,” he told de Villiers. “I see it as an opportunity to become a hero. I always visualise such innings in my life. I am such a person; I have always wanted to do something magical. Being in the present, focus on your breathing, seeing the scoreboard, what’s required, what’s not required, calculating such things, being yourself, I think help me to handle that pressure.

“Be yourself, focus on your own assets. What shot should be required now, which bowler is bowling, focusing on such things, so automatically your pressure just goes away.”

Jitesh Sharma’s Unmagical IPL 2026

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s men’s team lifted their maiden trophy in IPL 2025. Sharma played a supporting role to end RCB’s lengthy trophy drought as he scored 261 runs at a strike rate of 176.35.

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The bright chaser’s 2026 summer, however, has been rather dull. In 10 matches that he has played so far, Sharma has managed only 64 runs. His highest score in IPL 2026 is 23, while his batting average reads 8. The finisher has been striking at measly 108.47 for RCB.

Jitesh Sharma: A Meme Provider?

RCB fans couldn’t help but bring up Sharma’s brave talk time and time again to mock the batter’s struggles in the ongoing season. Earlier, during a match between RCB and Delhi Capitals on April 18, Sharma had the perfect opportunity to become the hero he had always wanted to be for his side, who were placed comfortably at 131/4 with 44 balls to go at their home, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Not only did RCB fail to cross the 200-run mark, but Sharma played a snail-paced innings of 14 off 20 balls, which halted RCB to a score of 175/8. DC chased it down with 1 ball to spare.

Fast forward to Thursday’s contest against the LSG, Sharma once again failed to walk the talk, and IPL watchers swiftly arrived at the scene to serve a rude reminder.

‘Let my top order collapse…’
Jitesh Sharma gave a generational meme material to troll himself😹 pic.twitter.com/vyA72eETLB

— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) May 7, 2026

God fulfilled bro's request but….😭 pic.twitter.com/tR4GEOCVvX

— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) May 7, 2026

Fortunately for RCB, despite Sharma’s repeated setbacks, the Bengaluru-based franchise remains firm at #3 and would eye to advance to the playoffs without any last-minute drama.