Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has opined that Jitesh Sharma should be the frontrunner for a wicketkeeper-batter’s position in India’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad. He added that the RCB star has the best numbers among all Indian wicketkeeper-batters in the middle order as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’he said, “We come to the man who is there (in the Asia Cup squad). I feel he will play in the XI. That is Jitesh Sharma. When he has played at Nos. 1 to 3, he has a strike rate of 135 and an average of 25. We shouldn’t think too much about that because he won’t get a chance there. However, his numbers at Nos. 4 to 7 have become a lot better.”
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“He has a strike rate of 166 and an average of 28. He is the first batter whose strike rate is above 150. So when the pecking order is prepared, he will go right at the top. Jitesh Sharma’s numbers have looked the best amongst everyone else. Jitesh Sharma is shining bright. He seems to be at No. 1,” Chopra further added.
However, Aakash Chopra also added that Dhruv Jurel seems to be in contention for the 2026 T20 World Cup as he is among the standbys for the Asia Cup and he has a great record in the middle order.
“Dhruv Jurel is a part of the Indian setup at the moment. He is among the standbys currently. He has played only two matches at Nos. 1 to 3, so there is no point in talking about a strike rate of 71 there. However, at Nos. 4 to 7, where he bats regularly, he has a strike rate of 144 and an average of 25, which is not bad,” he said.
“He is also a work in progress. I won’t say that he is a finished product, but I have a lot of time for Dhruv Jurel because he is a good cricketer. He has the might. He has the talent to bat at that number, and that’s the thought process behind the Indian team management keeping him, and that’s why he is part of the standbys. He was part of the team last time, but is now part of the standbys,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
