The journey of Jitesh Sharma is considered one of a sort. For somebody who by no means had a coach, who learnt cricket via YouTube and was out and in of the Vidarbha workforce due to his flamboyant batting, the wicketkeeper-batsman is lastly reaping the rewards for his fearlessness.
On Friday night in Raipur, when India had been in a precarious position, the Vidarbha batsman not solely cast a game-changing 56-run stand with Rinku Singh but additionally outscored the southpaw through the partnership. Jitesh scored a 19-ball 35 which included three sixes. It took him solely 4 balls to hit the primary six towards Chris Green, the place he shuffled throughout like Suryakumar Yadav and launched it over deep sq. leg.
Ranjit Paradkar, former Vidarbha captain, remembers how repeatedly for every week earlier than the Asian Games, Jitesh had labored on that shot.
“He watches Surya’s batting more than Surya himself. He wanted to hit that shot over square leg and fine leg. At VCA, he trained for that particular shot over a week before going to the Asian Games,” Paradkar tells The Indian Express.
Guwahati: Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav performs a shot through the third T20 cricket match between India and Australia, on the ACA (Assam Cricket Association) Stadium in Guwahati, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)
Before going to the Asiad, Jitesh Sharma admitted that he binge-watched Suryakumar Yadav’s batting movies and was engaged on his 360 sport. I’m simply making an attempt to watch Suryakumar Yadav. Main unke jitna skillful nahi hoon (I’m not as skillful as him). But I’m watching his movies on how he manipulates the sphere, and the way he performs these risk-free photographs. I’m simply making an attempt to study from his batting. Everyone has a distinct talent set. I’m simply making an attempt to discover my sport and make it 360,” he had instructed this newspaper.
The 30-year-old is likely one of the few finishers within the circuit. He has confirmed that within the IPL for Punjab Kings over the past couple of seasons. In IPL 2022, he scored 234 in 12 outings with a strike price of 163.63. He made positive that he’s not a one-season-wonder, scoring 309 runs at a strike price of 156.06. All the runs have come whereas batting at No. 5 or decrease.
“At Kings, captain Shikhar and the coaching staff have given him a clear role clarity. That is the reason we can see the calmness in the execution of his shots. Be it the first ball or the last ball, he is ready to take on the bowlers. The cameo showed that the role clarity has done wonders to him. The same thing goes for Rinku for what UP and KKR have given to him. It is clearly visible,” says Joshi, who’s presently the coach of the Uttar Pradesh workforce.
“Jitesh has prepared very well for that, and the team management has made him prepare for that. Execution may happen or may not happen but preparation is something one can’t compromise with. He is in a comfortable mindset. He looked relaxed,” provides Joshi.
Jitesh’s Ranji Trophy captain Faiz Fazal calls him a freak, whereas for Paradkar he’s a free hen. But each of them agreed on the truth that Vidrabha’s khadoos model of cricket did not cage him.
“I will take you a little back. When he was playing junior cricket and whatever I saw off him, he used to score big runs. But I don’t know what happened to him. It was his technical flaws or you can question the mentality, he couldn’t make the impact for the senior team,” remembers Faiz.
“He is a freak. He is very raw. He is a bizarre boy but was always very talented. He was always good in white ball cricket. He could smack sixes at will. A very impactful player and always an unbelievable wicketkeeper. Even now I think he is the best wicketkeeper in the country,” says Fazal.
Jitesh Sharma in nets for Mumbai Indians. (MI)
Jitesh is an IPL champion; he received the trophy with Mumbai Indians in 2017. He by no means acquired to play any match, however that two-year stint introduced a change in his cricket. He realised that being an opener is just not going to get him recognition and on the age of 24, he determined to vary his sport and began batting within the center order.
“He is a free bird, not easy to be caged. He will never listen to the coaches. His mantra has always been, ‘you need runs, I will score it my way. If you need 50, I will hit it in 30 balls, I don’t need to play 100 balls. Few backed him, few didn’t. He was trying to improve and improvise. He was evolving with the team, while we were more focused in four days of cricket, the solid technique, playing in the V, and building innings. Now, when I am a coach, I can see where he was coming from,” laughs Paradkar.
Fazal says his former opening accomplice at all times had an X issue however the starvation to excel got here when he frolicked in that star-studded Mumbai Indians dressing room.
“When you get a few more opportunities. As a player, you always believe in yourself. At MI, they had four keepers, including Jitesh. Jos Buttler, Parthiv Patel and Nicholas Pooran were there. In a country like India, you need to have that luck and be at the right place at the right time. That luck part came into his career when he joined the Punjab Kings. The Kings’ template of going after the opposition suited his style of play and he is getting rewarded now,” explains Faiz.
“He has got that X factor. He is very chirpy but at the same time very organic as well. He never compromised on his way of playing. Every season he will come with a new stance and new grip. It was very difficult to understand him. There was always a madness in Jitesh’s batting, but now the method is clearer,” says Faiz.
Faiz remembers a humorous incident when Jitesh acquired hit wicket in a Vijay Hazare match towards Uttar Pradesh in 2014. No one noticed it besides him and he went on to attain his maiden List 100.
“We were playing in Jaipur against Uttar Pradesh. Jitesh pulled Piyush (Chawla), the ball went to deep mid-wicket, and in the way got hit wicket. He realised it immediately, and I had no clue. Everyone was watching the ball including the bowler, keeper and slip. When I reached the other end I thought the keeper must have hit the stumps, and with a finesse, I just put the bails on it. No one saw it. Jitesh went to score a century,” laughs Faiz.
