Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen believes Punjab Kings wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma can be the perfect replacement for injured Rishabh Pant, who has been out of cricket for an indefinite period. The 29-year-old had a breakthrough year in IPL 2022, as he played many vital knocks for the Punjab Kings.
Punjab Kings’ talented wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma was one of the most impressive uncapped cricketers in the country. Jitesh had impressed one and all with his shot-making and finishing abilities and has also been impressed with his work behind the stumps.
Kevin Pietersen feels that Jitesh Sharma can be a perfect replacement for Rishabh Pant in the white-ball format, as Pant is expected to be out of the game for a considerable amount of time.
“India has their Rishabh Pant replacement. Jitesh Sharma, the wicket-keeper from Punjab Kings, is also something special. I think he could be the guy who takes over from Rishabh Pant for India if Pant is out for a while longer. His 25 off seven balls, including four sixes, against Mumbai on Saturday was match-winning,” Kevin Pietersen wrote in his column for Betway.
In the games against Mumbai Indians, Jitesh Sharma showcased his brilliant finishing skills hitting 4 sixes from his 7-ball innings to help Punjab Kings post a mammoth total of over 200 runs against Mumbai.
The Vidarbha wicketkeeper got up his maiden Indian call in January 2023 against Sri Lanka for the T20I series. following his brilliant first IPL, the 29-year-old scored 234 runs in 12 matches at a brilliant strike rate of 163.64. He had one of the best numbers in the middle overs among all batters in the IPL.
It’s Fantastic To See The Older Guys Going Strong – Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen said that he is excited to see the older guys going stronger in IPL 2023, with many veterans Faf du Plessis, Ajinkya Rahane, David Warner, Piyush Chawla, and Mohit Sharma doing well for their franchises. The former South African skipper has been the leading run-scorer in the league so far and Rahane has been revamping the league so far.
“It’s fantastic, in particular, to see the older guys going strong. There’s a lot to be said for experience, but they’re learning new tricks, too, Faf du Plessis has been unbelievable so far. David Warner has been terrific and Ajinkya Rahane played a great innings for CSK on Sunday,” Kevin Pietersen wrote in his column.
With his brilliant Performance in IPL 2023, Ajinkya Rahane made a brilliant comeback into the side for the World Test Championship against Australia.