Jitesh Sharma has sparked debate by leaving Virat Kohli out of his all-time IPL XI despite being RCB teammates during their 2025 title win. The wicketkeeper-batter named MS Dhoni as captain, with Rohit Sharma and Adam Gilchrist opening, ahead of IPL 2026.
In a rather controversial move, Royal Challengers Bengaluru keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has axed Virat Kohli from his all-time IPL XI squad. The duo shared the dressing room in IPL 2025, a significant year for RCB, as they finally lifted the coveted trophy after 18 years. Kohli finished as the third-leading run-scorer of the season, having amassed 657 runs in the cash-rich league.
Notably, the selection comes as Jitesh prepares for his second season with RCB in IPL 2026. He joined the franchise ahead of the 2025 season after spending three years with Punjab Kings, with Bengaluru securing his services for INR 11 crore at the mega auction. His move proved fruitful, as he played a key supporting role in RCB’s maiden IPL triumph.
Primarily deployed as a finisher, Jitesh featured in 11 innings during the title-winning campaign, scoring 261 runs at a strike rate of 176.35. Courtesy of his influential impact, Jitesh also earned a call to the national team, but failed to retain his spot as Ishan Kishan made his way back to the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026.
Jitesh named MS Dhoni as captain for all-time XI
In an interview with CricTracker, Jitesh named Rohit Sharma and Adam Gilchrist as the openers. The duo was part of the Deccan Chargers squad in the earlier years and also won the championship in the 2009 edition of the tournament, which was organised in South Africa. At No. 3, he placed India’s current T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav.
The middle order was anchored by former South African greats Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers, followed by MS Dhoni, who was named captain of the side. Dhoni was slotted between Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel, giving the XI balance through both pace and spin all-round options.
In the bowling department, Varun Chakravarthy was selected as the specialist spinner, continuing his rise since joining Kolkata Knight Riders in 2020. The pace attack was completed by Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood, the latter also being Jitesh’s current teammate at RCB.
Jitesh Sharma’s all-time IPL XI:
Rohit Sharma, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni (c), Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood