Former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel has voiced for Jitesh Sharma to be India’s wicket-keeper during the T20I World Cup 2023. In the first T20I against Afghanistan, Jitesh was preferred over Sanju Samson and delivered a rapid 31 off 20, contributing to India’s six-wicket victory. Despite this, the cricketer couldn’t make an impact in the second match.
While highlighting the Indian batting lineup, Parthiv Patel said that the top order of the Indian cricket team is filled with batters like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Yashasvi Jaiswal with a blend of players like Shubman Gill. The middle order has Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya. Patel said that India needs a lower-middle order batter who can keep wickets and Jitesh Sharma is absolutely fit in this role.
“Yes, they are definitely doing that and the reason for that is the number of openers or top-order batters we have in the Indian team. There is a sort of traffic jam at the top because you have Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is injured, and Shubman Gill, who opened in the first match,” Parthiv said while talking to JioCinema.
“So India’s option is probably to have a wicketkeeper who can bat down the order. If you have to bat down the order, you need a destructive batter. The way Jitesh Sharma is playing, he is a very good option and I feel his ticket to the World Cup has started getting printed slightly,” the 38-year-old said.
Jitesh Sharma’s future hinges on the upcoming Indian Premier League edition, where competition is intense with the likes of KL Rahul and Sanju Samson waiting for opportunities. Additionally, the return of Rishabh Pant is a possibility that cannot be neglected.
