Wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma has expressed his desire to play for Mumbai Indians or Chennai Super Kings during the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. Jitesh, who is currently a part of Punjab Kings, revealed that he is yet to receive any message from the franchise.
Jitesh has been associated with Punjab Kings since IPL 2022. He has a good track record with the franchise and has played many important knocks for them. However, the IPL 2024 season was disappointing for Jitesh because he was below par with the bat.
Jitesh was even dropped from the team in favor of youngsters like Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma, with Jonny Bairstow taking up the goalkeeping gloves. Their goal will be to start next season on a positive note.
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Will Punjab Kings keep Jitesh Sharma?
During an interview with TOI, Jitesh Sharma spoke about the chances of being retained by Punjab Kings ahead of the mega auction IPL 2025. He stated that he is yet to receive any communication regarding his retention.
“Let’s see. If I am in their plans, they will hire me, otherwise they won’t because I haven’t received any communication from Punjab Kings yet,” Jitesh said.
Jitesh Sharma has played 40 matches for Punjab Kings in IPL. He has scored 730 runs at an average of 22.81 and a strike rate of 151.14. In the lower order, Jitesh has played the role of franchise finisher quite well.
Jitesh Sharma expresses desire to play for Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings
The wicketkeeper-batsman further expressed his desire to play for Chennai Super Kings or Mumbai Indians in the upcoming season if Punjab Kings do not retain him. Being a former MI player, he expressed his desire to play for the franchise.
“If you ask me personally, I would rather play for CSK or MI. I have experienced the atmosphere of MI and I love Wankhede because as a Maharashtrian, it has always been close to my heart. During my youth, I watched matches at Wankhede and sat outside, feeling the vibe that I want to experience while playing inside the stadium for Mumbai Indians,” explained Jitesh.
Before being signed by the Punjab Kings, Jitesh Sharma was in the Mumbai Indians team. However, he did not get any games. He finally made his IPL debut in 2022 for Punjab Kings. Jitesh also admires MS Dhoni, which is why he would like to be a part of Chennai Super Kings.
“I would like to play for Chennai Super Kings because of Mahi bhai and because Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK captain) is my good friend and I enjoy playing with him the same way I enjoy playing with Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) bhai,” he added.
Both Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are the most successful teams in the history of the IPL with five titles to their name. Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni are the most successful joint captains of the IPL.
Jitesh Sharma’s T20I record
Jitesh Sharma also played T20I cricket for India. He has played 9 T20Is and scored 100 runs at an average of 14.28 and strike rate of 147.05.
He was in India’s plans for the 2024 T20 World Cup, but a disappointing IPL 2024 season went against them and the selectors chose Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson as India’s wicketkeepers.