Jitesh Sharma, the wicketkeeper for the Punjab Kings, had a strong start to the IPL season. But, it’s been a long road for him as a cricket player, quite inspiring and full of struggle.
The talented young cricketer Jitesh scored 26 runs in 17 balls against CSK on his debut. He scored 23 runs off 11 balls and 30 not out in 15 balls against Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians respectively, but in 2017 the 28-year-old was faced with a challenge to find a place in the team.
“My journey has been like a mountain trekking person. He recalled that I was concentrating on playing and when I played my first match, I was sitting in the dressing room and reminiscing about my past. Where I come from, my struggles, the sacrifices I have made and all the people who have supported me, I do not want to disappoint anyone, even myself. Jitesh Sharma was quoted as saying by the Punjab Kings website.
Jitesh Sharma Chasing a Dream
It has been a dream for a Jitesh Sharma to play alongside the greats he had seen growing up on television, but Sharma said he did his best on the field despite being nervous.
He said, I was nervous while facing the first ball on the field. I saw MS Dhoni keeping wicket behind him and Jadeja bowling. DJ Bravo was to my left and Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu were in front of me, whom I have seen on TV but never seen in reality. So I was a little nervous in the match.
“My hard work was always with me, so I was very confident and the moment my bat touched the ball for the first time, everything was back to normal,” Sharma said.
Sharma said that his father has been his biggest inspiration.
Sharma added, “My father used to play a lot of cricket and also take part in tennis tournaments and I used to participate in many prize distribution with him. He was also a business man. Whenever he used to watch cricket, he was happy and excited. That’s when I realized that if he sees me playing cricket, he will be just as excited. My journey started from there and that’s when I felt that I can start playing cricket.
After the match, when I saw my father’s missed call, I called him back, though I was hesitant to call as he had a strict routine. He usually sleeps by 10 pm, but this time I called him around 12:30. He was awake. He was waiting for me to call. He was so happy that he told me, well played son!
