Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag believes Punjab King’s finisher Jitesh Sharma has cracked the formula to play T20 cricket as he keeps things quite simple to take on the bowlers based on the kind of deliveries by the bowlers. The Indian wicket-keeper batter Jitesh played an explosive knock against Mumbai Indians in Mohali.
The 29-year-old played a brilliant knock alongside their star all-rounder Liam Livingstone in the middle order to help his side surpass 200 run mark for the fourth consecutive time in IPL 2023.
The Punjab batters stitched a partnership of 119 runs for the 4th wicket to help the Punjab Kings post a total of 214-3 at the end of 20 overs. He showcased his brilliant finishing skills to score 49* runs off 27 balls including five fours and two sixes complementing the England hard-hitting batter Liam Livingstone from one end.
Virender Sehwag said that he always insists the youngsters react to the ball, based on their intuitions and said that Jitesh Sharma has his plan clear to take on the bowlers based on the delivers and reckons that its main strength is to keep things simple in his batting.
“I always tell kids, just see the ball and do whatever you think you can with it, hit it, leave it, or block it. Those are the simple basics of batting and that is what Jitesh Sharma was doing. He was looking at the ball and if it was hittable he was going for it or taking a single. In this format, you can’t leave a delivery. He was keeping it quite simple,” Virender Sehwag said.
Jitesh Sharma was one of the most impressive uncapped cricketers in the country and has earned a call-up in the Indian team, but hasn’t debuted for the Men in Blue in International Cricket. Jitesh had impressed one and all with his shot-making and finishing abilities and has also been impressed with his work behind the stumps.
Jitesh Sharma’s Shot Selection Was Great – Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag feels that even though the Mumbai Indian’s bowling was weak, Jitesh Sharma showed a lot of grit and determination in his innings against the five-time champions and lauded him for his shot selection and believes that is going to play for the Indians very soon.
“The wicket was great and the bowling wasn’t that great. But even then, you have to make those runs. Today if I go to play with under 13 kids, I may not make runs. I will have to work like them to make runs. That is what Jitesh Sharma has done here, even though the bowling was weak, he worked for those runs”.
“The shot selection was great. I have said this earlier as well, Jitesh Sharma is a watch-out player, maybe in the next year we will get to see him playing for India,” Virender Sehwag added
Jitesh Sharma’s innings went in vain, as the Mumbai Indians played exceptionally well to chase down the total with seven balls to spare in the game. Punjab Kings will take on two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders in their next encounter in the iconic Eden Gardens on Monday