India wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has opened up about his remarkable journey in Indian cricket in a candid conversation with batting great and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) icon AB de Villiers.
South Africa legend AB de Villiers has heaped praise on India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, describing him as a "big pivotal player" for the Indian team in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
"Really like the team that has been picked. Big call on leaving out Gill and that tells me that 'Fire & Ice' has been replaced by 'Fire & Fire'. The options Ishan Kishan gives are too tempting to ignore, especially given his form. Sadly, that means Jitesh had to go and you feel for him, but
India is placed in Group A alongside Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the United States and will start its campaign against the USA on February 7 in Mumbai.
This comes after Gill failed to score in the first two fixtures of the ongoing five-match T20 series against South Africa. Gill scored only four runs in the first T20I and was dismissed for a golden duck in the second match against South Africa.
"I think we both are trying to play for India, not for other teams. We are like brothers. We share lots of experience with each other. He helps me a lot whenever I do keeping or batting. That's the thing," he noted.
Former India cricketer and batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that while Sanju Samson has performed well at the top for India when given chances, Jitesh Sharma might pip him for a spot in the playing 11 as a finisher in the South Africa T20Is.
The 26-year-old wicketkeeper/batter, who filled in for Jitesh Sharma, who is set to feature in the five-match T20 series against South Africa, smashed 10 fours and nine sixes during his innings.
Following a dominant 2-1 ODI series win, the action now shifts to the five-match T20I leg as India lock horns with South Africa, with the road to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup India and Sri Lanka 2026 picking up momentum.
Speaking on the decision, Suryakumar said, "In terms of Sanju, yes, when he came into the circuit, he batted higher up the order. Now the thing is, other than the openers, I feel everyone has to be very flexible. He did really well before he played, when he opened the innings but Shubman had
Hardik Pandya made a sensational comeback to competitive cricket, scoring an unbeaten 77 off 42 balls to lead Baroda to a thrilling seven-wicket win over Punjab in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) on Tuesday in Hyderabad.
New Delhi [India], November 26: In an exclusive interview with Sports Yaari, Jitesh Sharma, the star wicketkeeper-batter of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), shared his thoughts on the team's inaugural IPL championship season. Sharma's dedication to Virat Kohli and his fearless approach to