‘Players go into their second season expecting too much’ – Jitesh Sharma reflects on his preparations for IPL 2023

Punjab Kings (PBKS) wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has opened up on how he prepared for the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Notably, the Punjab batter relished a decent season with the franchise, playing invaluable knocks coming down the order. 

During his first stint in the 2022 season, Jitesh collected 234 runs in 12 appearances, scoring at a strike rate of 163.64. While it is understood that cricketers tend to get slightly cautious in the following seasons after their debut, such was not the case with Jitesh, as he emerged as one of the lethal finishers in the 2023 season for Punjab.

In 14 matches, Jitesh accumulated 309 runs, with an individual best of an unbeaten 49, at a solid strike rate of 156.06. The Punjab Kings batter explained how his mindset was in the lead-up to the 16th edition of the IPL, crediting Vidarbha teammate Ganesh Satish for advising him to ‘stick to the plan’. 

"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 told in an interview with Sportskeeda.

"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,” he added.

Jitesh is yet to earn a spot in the national team, however, the selection committee could ponder over the idea of having him in the set-up for the 2024 T20 World Cup, keeping in mind his lethal hitting exploits. Meanwhile, team India is to play the West Indies in a multi-format series, scheduled to commence on July 12.