Two days after Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) suffered a 42-run defeat against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in an IPL 2025 match at Ekana, stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma’s remark that “sometimes it’s good to lose” has not gone down well with many fans. The loss has significantly impacted RCB’s hopes of finishing in the top two, as they slipped to third place in the points table. Despite a promising start by the opening batsmen, RCB’s batting collapsed, and Jitesh Sharma’s optimistic comment about learning from defeat sparked debate about the team’s mindset and approach.
Disappointing Chase and Missed Opportunity
RCB began their chase of 232 runs strongly, with Virat Kohli and Phil Salt putting together an 80-run partnership for the opening wicket. However, after that solid foundation, the batting line-up crumbled dramatically, losing seven wickets for just 16 runs. This collapse allowed SRH to seal a comprehensive victory, dealing a significant blow to RCB’s campaign. The bowlers, led by Jitesh Sharma himself, had a tough time containing the SRH batsmen, with Ishan Kishan scoring an unbeaten 94 off 48 balls, supported by Abhishek Sharma and Aniket Verma’s valuable contributions.
Jitesh Sharma, who had won the toss and elected to bowl first, admitted that SRH’s batsmen dominated the powerplay and scored 20-30 runs more than expected. “They played really well. In the powerplay, they really attacked us. I didn’t have any answers for their attack. But my bowlers really did well,” he said, acknowledging the challenges faced by his bowling unit.
Optimism Amid Disappointment
Despite the heavy loss and its impact on RCB’s standings, Jitesh Sharma maintained a positive outlook about the team’s future in the tournament. He explained that sometimes losing is necessary to recognize weaknesses and improve. “Yes, we were rusty. The intensity was not there initially. After 6-7 overs, we were there. In the death overs, we bowled more accurately and precisely. But it’s good to lose this game, I feel,” Jitesh Sharma said.
He further elaborated that continuous winning can sometimes hide problems, while losing provides an opportunity for introspection. “Sometimes losing a game is a very good sign because you can check and analyze where you are lacking. If you keep winning, you don’t see your mistakes, and you keep going with the flow. The positive thing is that everyone’s chipping in. After this loss, we will see how the setup is. We will move forward from here,” he added.
This blend of disappointment over the defeat and hope for improvement has left fans divided, with some appreciating the candidness and others questioning the timing and tone of Jitesh Sharma’s comments given the stakes involved.
