'We both love chai' - RCB star opens up on special bond with Rajat Patidar

Ace Royal Challengers Bengaluru player Jitesh Sharma recently opened up on his relationship with skipper Rajat Patidar. Both Rajat and Jitesh were key members of RCB's title-winning squad in IPL 2025.

The wicketkeeper-batter expressed Patidar and his liking for tea. He also discussed their unique routine of visiting cafes before matchdays and just chit-chatting about random topics.

“We share similar hobbies, like tea. We both love tea. If we talk, people will say two crazy folks are speaking something, even though we don't know what we talk about sometimes. Silly talks, sometimes we gossip about people, it’s good fun. Before a match, we have a routine where we go to some cafe and sit, it’s like a ritual between games,” Jitesh was quoted as saying by Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Jitesh also talked about how cricketer-turned-coach Chandrakant Pandit became a common topic between the two who represent the same zone (Central Zone) in zonal cricket. 

“We share some special bond because we play for Central Zone, we have something very common - the coach, Chandrakant Pandit. He was in our [my] state for three years. Now, he has gone to their state. He is a very strict coach, in a good way. When he would do something, it would become a topic. I have known him for a long time, we played age-group cricket together, we were in the same zone,” he added.

The 31-year-old commented on their process-oriented nature while approaching anything related to cricket. He also commented on their common thinking and how both of them used to assume responsibility while batting together. 

"We both aren’t worried about results, we believe in the process. Big blessing is that DK (Dinesh Karthik) is teaching us. Rajat and I think we are core members of the team. We take responsibility, whenever we’re batting, we speak that there is no one behind us or ahead of us, it’s us both. We have to take all the responsibility, if someone doesn’t do well, it’s on them. Only both of us can take the responsibility that most others are scared to take up, we talk like that, fully 100%,” mentioned Jitesh.

Jitesh is currently with the Indian team in the UAE for Asia Cup 2025. He was shortlisted in the 15-member squad for the Men in Blue on the back of a blistering IPL 2025 for RCB. Jitesh struck at 176.35 for the Patidar-led side.