Former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel has expressed confidence in Jitesh Sharma’s potential inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad, citing the young batter’s recent impactful performances with the bat in international cricket. Jitesh, who made his debut for India in the Asian Games last year, seized the opportunity to showcase his skills during the T20I series against Australia.

Despite limited chances to bat in the Asian Games, Jitesh made a mark in the T20I series against Australia, scoring 100 runs in 7 innings at an impressive strike rate of 147.05. Parthiv Patel believes that the team management is turning to Jitesh due to the congestion at the top of the batting order, with several options available.

Parthiv Patel explained, “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.”

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Highlighting the need for a destructive batter in the lower-middle order, Patel sees Jitesh Sharma as a suitable option. He believes that the team is looking for a wicketkeeper who can contribute with powerful hitting down the order, and Jitesh fits the bill perfectly.

“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,” Parthiv Patel remarked.

In the first T20I against Afghanistan, Jitesh Sharma showcased his ability to accelerate the run rate by scoring 31 runs off 20 balls. Patel commended Jitesh’s adaptability, noting that he demonstrated a different dimension to his game by playing sensibly in the lower-middle order.

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“The sample size is very small, but when he came to bat in the first T20I, he came before the 10th over. I feel he understood the situation very well and played according to that. It means he showed another dimension as well, that he can also build an innings,” Parthiv Patel added, expressing his admiration for Jitesh Sharma’s approach in his early international career.