Jitesh Sharma: This finisher has just begun

To get into the Indian team as a batter, one has to be extremely good, score thousands of runs in the domestic circuit, and then some more in the IPL (ask Sarfaraz Khan!). Your average needs to be stratospheric and a collection of big hundreds is also mandatory. Even after all this, one has to patiently wait for a chance as the team is already studded with star batters.

However, Jitesh Sharma, who averages around 25 in IPL and has no fifties to show in the 26 matches he has played for Punjab Kings, is on the verge of nailing down a spot in the Indian T20I team.

This is because Jitesh's value lies not in his average or the number of fifties he scores but his strike rate, explains Sankar Rajgopal who was the analyst and scout for Punjab Kings when the hard-hitting keeper-batter was signed by the franchise at the auction at a base price of Rs 20 lakh.

"For a number 6-7 batter, what matters more is the strike rate. His average of 25 is excellent. In his role, it is very hard to average 25," says Rajgopal.

Jitesh Sharma's IPL strike rate is 159.2. With a cut-off of minimum 500 runs, only four batters have a better strike rate than him since his IPL debut two seasons ago. Among Indians, only Suryakumar Yadav has a better strike rate than the Vidarbha wicketkeeper-batter.

It is not just the numbers but also the rarity of the skillset he provides. In an Indian team flocked with run accumulators at the top, Jitesh is a wicketkeeper-batter who tonks sixes while batting in the lower middle order.

Since Jitesh's IPL debut in 2022, only Nicholas Pooran has scored more runs at a better strike rate than him batting at 5 or below in the tournament.

"There are many other Indian guys who play that role in IPL but have not been able to translate (into performance). This is something which Jitesh has done. That is why I feel he is a rare gem and needs to be persisted with," said Rajgopal, who has worked with Star Sports as the Head of Broadcast Analytics and is currently associated with Network18's Sports18.

Rajgopal also says that Jitesh's aggressive approach was the reason Punjab Kings signed him even as his First Class and List A numbers were not much impressive.

"He had a great Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy that year (2022) and had hit the most sixes. We had a very attacking approach that year and Jitesh fit in that team very well."

The former Punjab Kings analyst also gives a lot of credit to Anil Kumble, the Punjab Kings coach when Jitesh was handed his IPL debut in 2022, for showing belief in the Vidarbha batsman.

Apart from the skill, Rajgopal thinks that it is his excellent clarity for the role that makes him stand out.

"He has excellent clarity of role... Because he knows the role requires a certain level of aggression, his strike rate is always high. In the first 10 balls, his strike rate is up and in the next 10, he continues in the same way. The rarity in his skill is that he is able to execute it very well," Rajgopal says.

In the series against Australia, Jitesh showed exactly what Rajgopal spoke about.

In his first game in Raipur, Jitesh scored 35 at a strike rate of 184 and in the next in Bengaluru, he smashed 24 at a strike rate of 150. In both these innings, Jitesh started hitting boundaries early and did not stop even if it cost him his wicket.

He also thinks that Jitesh, who turned 30 this October, is not a unidimensional player and can easily switch roles and also build innings when needed.

"The good thing about Jitesh is that he is slightly older and that is why he knows his game very well. Because of all the experience that he has got, he can adapt his game to different match situations."

Rajgopal thinks that the wicketkeeper-batter has a great future ahead but adds a caveat.

"I hope he gets a long run... If that happens. He is a rare commodity. It is a very tough and rare role and consistency may not always come. When you have to face 10-15 balls and hit 2-3 sixes, it is not easy. So the management needs to keep that in mind," he says.

"But more often than not he is someone who executes his role very well. If they persist with him, he has a great future," Rajgopal adds.

Jitesh's next assignment is the South Africa tour, starting from December 10, where he is part of the T20I team. His performance there and then in the IPL will decide whether the Vidarbha wicketkeeper-batter can get into the squad for the T20 World Cup scheduled in West Indies and USA for next year. With enough competition for the slot, the journey has just begun for this finisher.