Jitesh Sharma: 'I want to be there at the end, so I can hit 20 off ten balls'

Although Punjab Kings didn't make the IPL 2023 playoffs, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma's form was a bright spot in their campaign. He scored 309 runs - the third-most for them - at a strike rate of 156, following on from 234 runs in his debut season last year. Jitesh, who was also called up to India's T20I squad this January, talks about what he learnt during the IPL and his time with the India side.

What was the IPL like for you?
I see myself improving and learning. This was only my second time in the IPL, which is a high-pressure tournament. Plus, the team had better expectations from me this time after my performance last year. So I tried to carry forward that mindset. This IPL was a good learning experience.

Did you notice any differences in yourself as compared to last year?
I believe the more I played this season, the calmer I got. I have seen what the IPL looks like. Now, I feel I belong. I learned how to get used to playing alongside the big names and with the loud crowd across all stadiums.

Can you give us an example of an innings where your calmness played a role?
When I scored 49 not out against Mumbai Indians in Mohali. I have played an attacking role in pretty much every situation, but against Mumbai, I had to have a long partnership, which I got with Liam Livingstone [they added an unbeaten 119 from 53 balls].

What did the two of you say to each other during that partnership?
Our communication was clear: if the ball is in your radar, go for the big hits. But we had also decided that we would first face a few deliveries [to settle down] before going all out. There was quite some time left when we got together [in the 12th over], so we could afford to just have a look at any new bowler who was coming in.

Liam had told me that initially my role would be to give him the strike. But when I got a free hit and hit Jofra Archer for a four, I had a very good feeling about bat on ball with that shot. Then I hit a few more boundaries and then Liam said that from there on, both of us would go for the big hits and try to score as much as we could. We hardly even talk to each other otherwise!

I was given all the freedom by the team to express myself, while also being told that my role would be to break the opposition's momentum.

How did you go about trying to break their momentum?
The best mode is to attack. I had to pick which bowler to attack and when. The management did give us an idea of what to expect, but ultimately it is me who has to break it down on the field.

A lot of players practise range-hitting, especially for a finisher's role. What are your drills ahead of a game?
Range-hitting is the most common kind of practice, but I think differently. We mostly see players have a knock in the nets and then go for range-hitting. But I believe that when I'm waiting in the pavilion for my chance to go out and bat in a real-match situation, there is no way I can have a net session then. So that is how I practise too - by creating such a scenario in the nets. I pad up for nets and imagine myself batting in the 18th over or so, which means getting the most out of the remaining few deliveries.

That is how I train my mind and keep myself active about what is to come, because a real game situation doesn't give you any time to settle. So I have hit all our bowlers a lot in the nets (laughs)! But I ensure that I don't hit any one particular bowler quite a lot, otherwise I'll be bombarded with text messages! Anyway, by the time my chance to bat in the nets comes, a lot of our bowlers are already tired after having bowled to the top order, so all I'm left to face are the net bowlers.

But the variety of bowling we have at Punjab Kings helps a lot [there are right- and left-arm quicks, and at least one legspinner, left-arm spinner and mystery spinner] because they all have different speeds, mindsets and patterns. They are all from different countries too, so practising with them really helps. Take, for instance, Sikandar Raza bhai, who has played across T20 leagues around the world. He has helped me a lot in the nets, like letting me know about someone like Rashid Khan - the kind of action with which he bowls the legspinner or the googly.

Have there been any other special tips from your other Punjab Kings team-mates?
The first was from Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who I speak to a lot about the game. Often I got out in the 20s or 30s. Although I wasn't really frustrated with myself, I kept looking for bigger scores. So Bhanuka made me realise that even cameos between 20 and 30 tend to be really important contributions in a T20.

He told me, "You will understand only once the season gets over." He calmed me down and advised me to just take it as it comes and go with the flow instead of overthinking. He wanted me to be relaxed and patient, and honestly, that helped me a lot throughout this season.

The other piece of advice came from Raza bhai. Him being a mystery spinner helped me in the nets, as did the fact that he can speak Hindi well despite being from Zimbabwe. He made me practise by trying to bowl with Rashid's action.

And Liam asked me to have a clear mindset when attacking. He said, "There shouldn't be any scope for a second thought once you have decided that you will be going for the big hit. Also, you shouldn't regret getting out playing a big shot."

As an Indian, I always feel that I have limited opportunities to showcase my talent. But Liam told me that the No. 6 or 7 position is one where you're bound to fail multiple times, considering the requirements of that slot. He wanted me to be thick-skinned. In fact, even the team management has given me a lot of backing because I was able to play with such boldness. They have asked me never to worry about selection and to just try my best.

As a finisher, you mostly expect to walk out towards the latter stages of an innings. But like against Mumbai, you might also have to bat a bit early. How do you adjust when you walk in to bat in different situations?
The game is all about the mindset. You have to attack but then, the attacking-shot percentage tends to come down the moment you are four down early. That is when I look to play more orthodox shots even if my approach is always to keep scoring runs. And the moment you have lost four early wickets, the game is half done for your side; you can't expect to put up 200 on the board every day from that situation. So you have to cut down on risks. And even if I still prefer attacking, I boil it down to one single bowler to attack - like the weakest link in the opposition's attack - before increasing the number of attacking shots as I progress.

Can you pick an innings from this season in which you became better at handling the situation and performing your role?
That was against Gujarat Titans, even though I only scored 25 from 23 balls. Bhanuka and I were constantly chatting. I was mostly playing orthodox shots, but I also hit a short ball for four. That is when I realised that no matter the situation, I can still pile up runs by attacking.

The pattern of attack might change. Attacking doesn't only mean hitting sixes. You can keep ticking over by converting ones into twos, which can still help you maintain a run rate of above eight an over.

I didn't score many against Gujarat, but I really liked the way I played. Even if I couldn't manage a six, I kept finding the boundary and kept running hard. I couldn't execute all my plans that day, but it was an innings that gave me the belief that I can make it big.

Which other innings was memorable from this season?
The one against Mumbai at Wankhede, when I hit four sixes in six balls.

How do you adjust to the pressure of hitting big from ball one, knowing that you have only a few balls to make an impression?
There is a lot of pressure, but I also feel very privileged that people trust me to play the role of a finisher. I really like run chases that are challenging, because when you are batting at No. 6 in such games, you have the chance to try and be a hero. I love that feeling. I don't like the top four batters finishing games off; I want it to come down to me to finish matches off, so that I can crack 20 runs off ten balls!

I take it as a challenge, and I'm really delighted when I am in such a situation. And I still remember how MS Dhoni, whom I idolise as a finisher, finished off a game against Punjab in Dharamsala [in 2010], when he hit Irfan Pathan for sixes in the last over. I really admired how he played that day - he dug CSK out of a tough situation and finished it off.

How did the Impact Player rule influence your batting this season?
The Impact Player has given us a lot of freedom. The rule allows us to play fearlessly because I can start smashing from ball one, knowing that with the rule in play, it's possible that Shahrukh Khan, Sam Curran and Harpreet Brar can all bat after me. So when I walk out to bat in the death overs, I can further attack; it's a big lottery for batters.

How much of a role does data play for you as a batter?
Analysis helps you get a basic idea about what to expect; but on the field, it's all dependent on the situation and you play accordingly. So if as a right-hand batter, data tells me that an offspinner will bowl a particular line at a particular stage, it isn't necessary that he will be bowling there. It's just an estimate - sometimes it helps and other times it doesn't. In the end, it's about instinct. You can't keep waiting for a yorker from a bowler in the death overs just because the data tells you to expect that.

You cannot be entirely dependent on data and analysis. Imagine if my side needs ten runs to win in the last over and data provides information saying I can't play an offspinner well. I can't take a single to start the over! I just have to hit him from ball one.

Brad Haddin, the former Australia wicketkeeper-batter, is part of the Punjab Kings staff. Apart from batting, what work have you done on your wicketkeeping in the two seasons?
I had a lot of interactions with him. Whenever I get [to meet] someone with so much international experience, I try to collect as much information as possible from him. He helped me with my basics.

There was a fault in my keeping which he helped improve. Earlier when I used to collect the ball, my head went to the other side. I also almost hurried on to flick the bails off, so there would be a lot of gap between my head and hands, which caused the hands to stretch far away and get quite hard. Now I make that my head and hands move in the same direction, so that I am able to have softer hands while keeping. That was a very small adjustment, but now I feel as if I have an extra second in terms of collecting the ball, and so I'm quicker too.

Also, I wasn't very calm during the first year, so I had stiff hands. That said, as a wicketkeeper, my only focus last year was to keep wicket; but this time I also looked around to check the field settings and help Shikhar [Dhawan] bhai.

Keeping also helps you in batting, and vice-versa. Whether you have batted or kept wicket first, you subconsciously get an idea of how the wicket is behaving, which shots are hittable off which lengths. When you bat first, you need to get an idea only by observing your team-mates; but when you are chasing, having kept wicket in the first innings helps you ascertain how much the ball is turning and off which lengths.

You were called up to the Indian team early this year. What was your experience of that dressing room?
I have played with or against almost all of them in domestic cricket, whether it's Hardik [Pandya], Surya [Yadav] bhai or someone else. But as I look back at the time spent in that dressing room, I realise there was a lot of professionalism there, and also belief in me. I was there for the first time but they already knew what kind of player I was and what role I play.

There was a sense of maturity there, and it seemed they believed that there wasn't much need to give a lot of feedback to the players. I had a lot of space during those two series [against Sri Lanka and New Zealand] and there was a very healthy atmosphere. The captain and the coaches even spoke freely and pointed out where I can get better.

I even spoke to Rahul [Dravid] sir about how to maintain a good strike rate even if the side if four down early. He said, "If you are going out to bat at four or five down, half the side is gone anyway, so focus on what you know best. Just give yourself some time and focus on the kind of game you know best."

I was also a bit close to Paras [Mhambrey] sir, who has been coach at Vidarbha. He asked me not to worry about anything and that nobody would judge me there. All he wanted me to do was to pay attention to my batting and keeping.

After that experience, do you feel you are better prepared to play for India if called up now?
I feel that if I enter the Indian dressing room now, I would feel a lot more comfortable after that experience. I have already interacted with them once. And if selected to play, I will be glad to bat even at No. 11 for India!

What are your plans for the upcoming domestic season, which starts in a few months?
My aim is to play better for Vidarbha. Also, even though I feel I am well established there, I want to do something that helps them win trophies. My aim is to share my experience with the newcomers and also give them some confidence.