The wait seemed to be getting longer for Jitesh Sharma. Following the home T20Is against Afghanistan in January 2024 as the India cap continued to elude the wicketkeeper-batsman.
Pitted against Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel, the race was getting all the more difficult for the 31-year-old, who was slipping behind. However, this year’s IPL presented him with an opportunity to be back in the reckoning, and Jitesh grabbed it with both hands.
His crucial role, especially with the bat for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), made an impact in his team's maiden IPL triumph. As a finisher, Jitesh did his job to the best of his ability, braving difficult situations.
His hard work has paid off. Jitesh has earned a recall to the India squad as he was preferred over Jurel for the upcoming Asia Cup.
As a keeper-batter, he had proved his mettle for his former franchise Punjab Kings as well. But one could notice a sharper version of Jitesh following his move to RCB.
The former Vidarbha player finished with an average of 37.28 and a strike rate of 176.35, aggregating 261 from 11 innings and remaining not out on four occasions. For sure, this has been his best IPL year so far, with the unbeaten 33-ball 85 — batting at No.6 — against Lucknow Super Giants being his standout innings.
“Jitesh, by nature, is a little soft spoken and doesn’t talk much. But deep down, he’s quite aggressive and knows how to channelise his aggression, which we saw in this IPL.
“Besides, his mental toughness goes a long way in guiding him in tough, challenging situations,” Dinanath Nawathe, Jitesh’s coach since the latter was 13, said from Amravati.
"The move to RCB worked well for Jitesh. Playing alongside a stature like Virat Kohli brought about greater benefits for him, especially mindset-wise," Vidarbha coach Usman Ghani pointed out.
It should boost Jitesh's red-ball aspirations too, following his move to Baroda this season. "It was initiated by his RCB teammate Krunal Pandya. Jitesh has been assured of a place in all formats," a senior Vidarbha Cricket Association official said.