Bharath Ramaraj
Runs: 160
Strike rate: 197.53
Average: 40
The above-mentioned impressive numbers are that of Jitesh Sharma in the slog overs in IPL 2025. Even in the pressure-cooker final game of that tournament, Jitesh cracked an invaluable 10-ball 24. And when Royal Challengers Bengaluru needed someone to play an explosive innings in the crucial match versus Lucknow Super Giants, Jitesh’s 33-ball 85 turned out to be a cornerstone of his franchise’s memorable victory.
But what is the relevance of all those numbers? After all, it has been more than three months since the completion of the IPL. The connecting point here is that the same wicketkeeper-batter looked in fine fettle in the nets ahead of India’s Asia Cup game against Oman. Jitesh, who hasn’t yet played in the ongoing Asia Cup, could get an opportunity in what is basically an inconsequential match of the group.
A couple of shots in the practice session highlighted Jitesh’s up-skilled game. One was a hook where the ball seemed to get big on Jitesh. However, he quickly went back and across and then crunched the stroke, without looking to keep it down. In the past, Jitesh has had his struggles against the banged in delivery. But in this year’s IPL, he was able to negate the threat to some extent. On a rather pleasant night in Dubai, he showed more evidence of it.
He also went back to a delivery and thwacked it down the ground. It is never easy to generate that kind of power to club one via straighter boundaries off the back foot. By now it is a known fact that Jitesh has a very good vertical swing. But he has also added innovative strokes behind the wicket.
Despite the Jitesh 2.0 on show in the IPL, he has not been able to regain his place in the T20I side. As he seems to have the feel for playing spin, he could have been used at No. 5 in India’s opening two games. The think-tank, though, trusted Sanju Samson to don the finisher’s role. But the jigsaw puzzle becomes more of a complex equation in the backdrop of Samson being suited to bat in the top 3.
There is one more piece of the jigsaw that needs to be considered — Shubman Gill’s place in the playing XI. The vice-captain is basically a top-order batter. The resultant outcome is Samson has to bat in the middle. Perhaps, the right way to sort out the muddle is to ask Jitesh to bat at five and Samson at three. In spin-friendly climes of the UAE, Tilak Varma’s problems while facing the tweakers could go against him. Having said that, the Indian management is all set to trust Tilak. Gautam Gambhir, the India head coach, also prefers to have enough left-handers in a batting unit.
India could just be wasting Jitesh’s prime form. The unpredictability of sport is such that you never know when self-belief would burn bright or when it might get extinguished in a split second.
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