'Did Jitesh Sharma Really Get Denied Entry at Lord's?': Karthik Clarifies Viral Video

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Karthik clarified the viral entry denial incident.
- Jitesh is set to join Baroda for the 2025-26 season.
- He had a successful IPL 2025 season with RCB.
- Importance of verifying social media claims.
- Jitesh's friendship with Krunal Pandya.
New Delhi, July 16 (NationPress) In the wake of a viral video circulating on social media, where a fan claimed that Jitesh Sharma was barred from entering the Lord’s cricket ground, former Indian wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik took to 'X' to dispel the misinformation quickly.
Karthik clarified that the location where Jitesh was halted by a security guard was not the actual entrance to Lord’s but instead the entry to the media center, where he had personally invited Jitesh.
“These are some issues with social media that many encounter. I invited Jitesh to the comm box, he arrived, and I met him downstairs before taking him to the comm box where he interacted with everyone. By the way, this is below the media center, not the entrance to the ground,” Karthik posted.
This development coincides with the announcement from Farokh Dastoor, CEO of the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA), who confirmed to IANS on Wednesday that they have issued a NOC for Jitesh to join the Baroda domestic team for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
“Jitesh has maintained a close friendship with Krunal Pandya, his RCB teammate during the side’s inaugural IPL victory in June. With Jitesh not participating in the Ranji Trophy last season and Pandya aspiring to form a strong Baroda team capable of winning a domestic title, the decision for Jitesh to leave Vidarbha became seamless,” sources informed IANS.
In the previous domestic season, Jitesh led Vidarbha in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and played under Karun Nair in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT). Transitioning to Baroda enables Jitesh to compete in both white ball and red ball formats, where he has participated in only 18 first-class matches since his longer format debut in the 2015/16 season.
During IPL 2025, Jitesh proved to be a vital finisher for RCB, notably scoring an unbeaten 85 in a crucial match against the Lucknow Super Giants and aiding RCB in securing a top-two position in the points table. He also stepped in as RCB’s captain when Rajat Patidar suffered a finger injury towards the end of the tournament.