The big news coming out of India’s T20 World Cup squad announcement on Saturday was Shubman Gill’s exclusion from the team. But even though Gill’s omission is grabbing headlines, Jitesh Sharma was another player who missed out of the squad due to the return of Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh.
Former India World Cup winner Sunil Gavaskar had high praises for Jitesh, who has been solid behind the stumps in the recently concluded South Africa series, comparing the Royal Challengers Bengaluru player to the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni on his DRS calls.
“He (Jitesh) did nothing wrong. He was a very good wicketkeeper in his chances, and after MS Dhoni, he was perhaps the best at helping the captain with DRS calls from behind the stumps. It is tough on him, but he is young. He just needs to go back to domestic cricket and keep performing,” Gavaskar said on JioHotstar on Saturday.
Gavaskar also backed the selection of in-form batter Kishan in the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Kishan, who has been out of favour for much of the year following fitness and availability issues, has impressed in recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, leading Jharkhand to the title with a splendid hundred.
“When you see someone performing, you pick him. Ishan Kishan has already been in the side and shown he can do it. That is a big plus. His current form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy proves that domestic cricket performance must be the selection criteria, not just the IPL,” Gavaskar said.
“I am very happy for him. He was out of the team for a couple of years but made a fantastic comeback by leading his state team Jharkhand to a title winning season,” he added.
Gavaskar termed Gill’s omission as a surprise but said “maybe just that lack of form and touch went against him”. “It is a surprise. He is a classic, quality batter who had a fabulous season post the 2024 T20 World Cup. Yes, he struggled in a few matches against South Africa. But class is permanent, and form is temporary.
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“He was also coming back after a long break and was out of rhythm. When you are not in rhythm in T20 cricket, where you have to attack from the start, it is hard.
“His natural game is more for Test cricket, playing along the ground. The shots needed in T20 do not come as easily to him. But he is a very good player. We have seen that in the IPL, so T20 is not new to him. Maybe just that lack of form and touch went against him.”