The Vidarbha-based batter Jitesh Sharma started making headlines after his heroics in the IPL for Punjab Kings. He has been one of the most consistent performers for the Punjab-based franchise in the cash-rich league. He was also a part of the Indian team that whitewashed Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series last week. Though he did not get a chance to play in any of the games, but he spent time with all the players alongside India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir.
“It always feels great to interact with Gautam Gambhir. He always keeps the atmosphere light. Gauti Paaji is a straightforward guy, he will tell you whatever the situation is on your face. He is very clear about his intentions and always looks to win the game”, the Vidarbha-based player told ZEE News in an exclusive conversation.
After the Indian team clinched the T20 World Cup 2024 title under the coaching of Rahul Dravid, the BCCI named Gautam Gambhir as the new head coach. Earlier, Jitesh also got a chance to work with former India player Rahul Dravid.
“See every individual has their own ways of dealing with things. When Rahul Dravid coached the Indian team, his intention was to win games. Now, Gautam Gambhir is coaching the Indian team, he also looks to win matches for India. One thing about Gauti Paaji that I like the most is that he stays at the nets till the end and watches everyone’s game.”
Currently, the Indian team is taking part in a three-match Test series against New Zealand. Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the Indians will look to clinch the Test series against New Zealand the way they did against Bangladesh.
India’s squad for the three Tests against New Zealand: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.