"Players go into their second season expecting too much"- Jitesh Sharma on preparation for IPL 2023

Punjab Kings (PBKS) wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma had a breakout season in IPL 2022 as he emerged as one of the more promising finishers in the Indian domestic circuit.

In 12 matches, Jitesh scored 234 runs at a staggering strike rate of 163.34 and almost immediately caught the eye of fans and cricket experts with his ability to play the big shots. It is natural for any player to be a bit cautious going into their second IPL season as they generally tend to taper off a bit from their debut season.

However, that wasn't the case with Jitesh Sharma as he showed that he could be successful when used as a floater too. In 14 matches in IPL 2023, the wicketkeeper scored 309 runs at an outstanding strike rate of 156.06.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Jitesh Sharma explained how he was prepared to not put the burden of expectations on himself going into the IPL 2023 season. He also credited veteran Vidarbha teammate Ganesh Satish for giving him valuable advice and said:

"When I had come back to VCA after the first IPL, I had spoken to a senior professional Ganesh Satish about what I should do in my game. He told me that generally when players go into their second season, they start expecting too much from themselves, but he advised me to stick to my game plan and look for 1-2 percent improvement which will help me in growth. He told me not to do anything out of the way."

Jitesh further added:

"I kept the same preparation for IPL 2023 and kept things simple. I looked at it like a practice for Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament. Just that I did intense practice as there is a greater intensity with which games are played in the IPL."

---

Jitesh Sharma on Rahul Dravid's advice

Although Jitesh Sharma hasn't made his India debut yet, his performances in IPL as well as domestic cricket didn't go unnoticed as he received a call-up to the T20I squad for the series against Sri Lanka earlier this year.

The wicketkeeper got to learn a lot during his time with the team. He opened up on how head coach Rahul Dravid advised him to believe in his natural game. On this, Jitesh stated:

"I had interacted with him (Dravid) once and I had spoken to him about how I haven't scored big runs. He told me, 'You aren't selected because of your big runs. You are selected because of the impact you made. So stick to your strengths and don't run behind what you don't have. Yes, you have to keep improving but also back your natural skills.'"

With back-to-back impressive IPL seasons and India's potential need for a finisher in T20Is, Jitesh Sharma could well make his international debut in the upcoming T20I series against West Indies.