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Jitesh Sharma

Overview

Jitesh Sharma is an Indian cricketer known primarily as a wicket-keeper batter. He plays domestic cricket in India and has featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where his aggressive lower-middle-order batting has drawn attention. He has also been picked for the India national team in the Twenty20 International (T20I) format.

Key facts

Full name Jitesh Sharma
Nationality Indian
Role Wicket-keeper batter
Batting style Right-handed
Domestic team Vidarbha
IPL franchises Punjab Kings; Royal Challengers Bengaluru
International format Twenty20 International

Background

Sharma came up through age-group and domestic cricket in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, with Nagpur serving as the base of his early career. He represented Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy, the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, contributing as a wicket-keeper and a hard-hitting batter in the middle order.

Career

Domestic cricket

Playing for Vidarbha, Sharma has appeared across the major Indian domestic competitions in first-class, List A and Twenty20 cricket. He has been part of Vidarbha squads during a period in which the side emerged as a competitive force in domestic Indian cricket.

Indian Premier League

Sharma was signed by Punjab Kings in the IPL, where he established himself as a finisher capable of striking at high rates in the death overs. His performances in the league were a key factor in his subsequent national selection. He later moved to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a subsequent IPL auction cycle.

India national team

Sharma earned selection to the senior India squad in the T20I format, where he has been considered as a wicket-keeping option and middle-order batter alongside other specialist keepers in the white-ball setup.

Playing style

A right-handed batter, Sharma is known for clean ball-striking, particularly through the leg side, and for taking on spin and pace in the late overs of T20 innings. As a wicket-keeper, he stands up to spinners and operates conventionally to the quicks.

Significance

Sharma's progression from Vidarbha's domestic circuit to the IPL and the Indian T20I side reflects the pathway available to wicket-keeping all-rounders from non-metropolitan Indian cricketing centres. His role as a finisher has placed him among the pool of Indian players considered for short-format assignments.

References