Team India will arrive in Dubai in a few days from now. With the all-important Asia Cup looming, there’s still no certainty on who will don the wicket-keeping gloves for India at the tournament. With Rishabh Pant injured and Dhruv Jurel only among the standbys, the contest is between Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma. Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes Jitesh has edged ahead in the pecking order thanks to his impact and abilities while batting lower down the order.
Jitesh to pip Sanju Samson?
Jitesh, who played a pivotal role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 title run, smashed 261 runs at a strike rate of 176 in the finisher’s role. Those numbers have made him a natural fit for India’s middle order, an area where Samson has struggled.
“I feel Jitesh Sharma will play in the XI. We shouldn’t think too much about positions one to three because he won’t get a chance there. However, his numbers at positions four to seven have become a lot better. He has a strike rate of 166 and an average of 28. He is the first batter whose strike rate is above 150. So when the pecking order is prepared, he will go right to the top,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
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