Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has officially moved from Vidarbha to Baroda ahead of the 2025-26 Indian domestic season. The 31-year-old, who did not feature in any Ranji Trophy matches during the previous season, was part of Vidarbha’s white-ball setup, which was captained by Karun Nair.
Jitesh’s switch to Baroda had been anticipated for some time, reportedly influenced by his close rapport with Baroda captain Krunal Pandya. The two shared the dressing room during RCB’s historic IPL 2025 title-winning campaign, where their on-field chemistry was evident. Jitesh played a crucial role as a finisher throughout the tournament and even captained RCB in the absence of Rajat Patidar during certain matches.
ALSO READ
One of the standout moments of Jitesh’s IPL 2025 season came when he smashed an unbeaten 85 off just 33 deliveries, guiding RCB to one of the most remarkable run chases in the league’s history. The team successfully chased down a daunting 228-run target against Lucknow Super Giants with eight balls to spare, powered by a record-breaking 107-run unbeaten partnership between Jitesh and opener Mayank Agarwal. It remains the highest successful chase ever recorded at the Lucknow venue.
Despite his T20 success, Jitesh has had limited exposure in red-ball cricket. Since his debut in the 2015-16 season, he has featured in only 18 first-class matches across ten seasons, scoring at an average of 24.48 with four half-centuries. His last first-class appearance was nearly a year and a half ago.
While Jitesh makes his move to Baroda, another RCB player, Swapnil Singh, has decided to shift to Tripura for the upcoming season. Swapnil, who was RCB’s only right-to-match retention at the IPL mega auction, did not feature in any matches for the franchise during the 2025 edition. In the 2024-25 domestic season, he represented Uttarakhand in the Ranji Trophy, taking 18 wickets in five matches.
Most recently, Swapnil was part of the Chepauk Super Gillies squad in the 2025 Tamil Nadu Premier League. Although he played regularly, his performance remained below expectations, picking up only three wickets and scoring 85 runs across eight games. He has been active in Chennai’s club cricket circuit, keeping himself in contention with consistent appearances despite limited domestic impact.
Get every cricket update! Follow us on
