"I always try to learn from the way he speaks" - Jitesh Sharma on Suryakumar Yadav
An injury to Sanju Samson saw Jitesh Sharma receive his maiden call-up to the Indian team for the last two T20Is against Sri Lanka earlier this year. The Vidarbha wicketkeeper-batter didn't make his debut, but was with the team and spent some valuable time in the Indian setup.
Jitesh would have definitely learnt a lot in the company of T20 superstars like Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav. Yadav, the No. 1 ranked T20I batter, was on top of his game in the final T20I in Rajkot as he smashed his third T20I hundred.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, here's what Jitesh Sharma had to say about Suryakumar Yadav's influence on his game:
"Surya bhai and I do chat sometimes normally on Instagram and we appreciate each other's performances.
"I haven't interacted with him much, but I always try to learn from the way he speaks and the confidence with which he conducts himself in the press. I try to learn from the way he prepares for games and then the shots that he plays."
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Jitesh Sharma also claimed that he wasn't nervous at all even though he was a part of the Indian setup for the first time. This is because he has spent enough time playing with and against many players in the Indian Premier League as well as in domestic cricket. He added:
"I felt very comfortable in the Indian setup as I had played with many players in the IPL already. I have played a lot of domestic cricket too with Hardik [Pandya], Arshdeep [Singh] and others.
"Obviously, it felt great when the team members decided that the new player in the team will get to hold the trophy."
Jitesh Sharma on getting the news of India call-up
Jitesh Sharma also spoke about his reaction when he first came to know that he had been picked in the Indian squad. He stated:
"I was absolutely ecstatic when I got to know that I have received a call-up to the Indian team. I was doing my run on the ground when I got to know the news and my family were also very happy that I got picked in the Indian squad."
Jitesh will be hopeful of making his debut during India's upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.