3 recent knocks that showed Jitesh Sharma could be the next big thing in Indian T20 cricket

Vidarbha cricketer Jitesh Sharma received his first call-up to the Indian T20I team on Wednesday evening. The BCCI named him as a replacement for Sanju Samson, who has been ruled out of the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka because of an injury.

In case you didn't know, Jitesh Sharma is a domestic cricket veteran, who has played 76 T20s in his career. He plays the role of a finisher and a wicket-keeper for Vidarbha, the same job that Dinesh Karthik did for the Indian T20I team last year.

Since Dinesh Karthik has been dropped from the T20I squad, it looks like the team management sees Sharma as someone who can take his place. Fans should note that the Vidarbha cricketer made his T20 debut back on March 31, 2014, but received his maiden national call-up almost nine years later.

In this listicle, we will look at the three recent innings played by Jitesh Sharma that probably influenced the selectors to give him an opportunity in the T20I team.

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#1 Jitesh Sharma's best IPL knock - 44 (34) vs. Delhi Capitals

Jitesh Sharma has been a part of the Mumbai Indians team in the past, but received his maiden IPL cap last year while playing for the Punjab Kings (PBKS). Sharma made his debut against the Chennai Super Kings at the Brabourne Stadium and played an impactful innings of 26 runs from 17 deliveries.

The wicket-keeper batter played 10 innings for the Punjab Kings in 12 matches. His best performance came in a league-stage match against the Delhi Capitals, where Sharma aggregated 44 runs off 34 balls.

Punjab Kings needed 160 runs to win the game, but slumped to 67/6 even before 10 overs were over. Sharma tried to take the team closer to the target with his 44-run knock. He smashed three fours and two sixes.

PBKS eventually lost the game by 17 runs, but fans lauded Sharma for his fight.

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#2 Sharma's brilliant cameo - 38*(18) vs. Rajasthan Royals

India need a batter who can score quick runs in the slog overs and save the team from top-order collapses. Jitesh Sharma ticked both the boxes while playing for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2022.

Sharma played some brilliant cameos during the season, one of which came against the Rajasthan Royals. The wicket-keeper batter aggregated 38 runs off just 18 balls, hitting four fours and two sixes. His brilliant finish lifted PBKS from 119/4 in 14.4 overs to 189/5 at the end of 20 overs.

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#3 Sharma's top finish in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match - 46* (24) vs. Mumbai

In the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Jitesh Sharma played an excellent knock of 46 runs off 24 balls in a match between Vidarbha and Mumbai. Vidarbha were down to 95/5 after 12 overs when Sharma came out to bat.

The wicket-keeper steadied the ship with Shubham Dubey before hitting the accelerator button. He raced from 26*(20) to 44*(24) in the last over of the innings, guiding Vidarbha to a fantastic total of 164/7 in 20 overs.

It will be interesting to see if Sharma makes his debut against Sri Lanka on Thursday.