Jitesh Sharma

As a mischievous schoolboy, Jitesh Sharma rarely had the patience for books, preferring the outdoors and the thrill of sport. That restless energy eventually found its perfect outlet in cricket, and what began as an escape from studies soon became his lifelong calling.

Jitesh Sharma performed superbly in the 2012-13 Cooch Behar Trophy, which propelled him to get a place in the senior Vidarbha side. He made a name for an emerging Vidarbha side as a lower order finisher in limited overs cricket. Jitesh Sharma was also picked by Mumbai Indians in 2016, but didn’t get a game.

It looked like his prime was behind him as Jitesh failed to make it beyond the domestic circuit for a few years, and was heading towards oblivion. However, the dashing wicket-keeper batter had other plans as he sprang back to life in the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He scored 19 sixes in the competition, the most in the tournament and carved a niche for himself as a lower-order finisher.