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India's stand-in captain, Suryakumar Yadav, has weighed in on the selection dilemma between Ishan Kishan and Jitesh Sharma for the first T20I against Australia.
Throughout the IPL 2023 season, Jitesh Sharma showcased an impressive performance, featuring in 14 matches and scoring 309 runs with a strike rate of 156.06. This run tally positioned him as the third-highest scorer for his team. Noteworthy was his ability to find the boundary, evident in his 22 fours and 21 sixes during the tournament. While he fell just short of reaching a half-century, Sharma's unbeaten 49 runs marked him as a reliable middle-order batsman and a designated finisher.
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Sharma's stellar IPL form did not go unnoticed, earning him a call-up to the Indian cricket team in January 2023 for a T20I series against Sri Lanka. Subsequently, he made his international debut against Nepal on October 3, 2023, during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, marking the commencement of his international cricket journey—a testament to his dedication and success in both the domestic circuit and the IPL.
Ishan Kishan, a consistent presence in recent Asia Cup and World Cup squads, played distinct roles in each tournament. In the Asia Cup, the left-handed batsman featured in the middle order, while in the World Cup, he opened in the first two games for India.
The wicket-keeper position presents a dilemma between Jitesh and Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav shared his insights during a press conference. He expressed the team's desire to maintain continuity with Jitesh from the last tournament, acknowledging Jitesh's hard work and contributions. Regarding Kishan, Suryakumar noted his commendable performances in the roles assigned to him during the Asia Cup and World Cup, emphasising that Kishan deserves an opportunity to play.
"I mean, he's been doing really well, and we wanted to keep that continuity from last tournament. And he's the guy who has been working really hard whenever he gets to a practice session. And, Ishan has been doing really well for us by taking up that role you saw in the Asia Cup in the World Cup as well, batting order. So I think he also deserves that opportunity. But going forward, we will definitely take a call tonight. I mean, what we want from both of them," said Suryakumar.
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