India's Asif Ali? "I used to hit 400 sixes in a day in training," says Jitesh Sharma

Jitesh Sharma plays for Vidarbha in India domestic cricket and for PBKS in the Indian Premier League.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter-keeper Jitesh Sharma’s latest claim has made fans compare him with Pakistani hitter Asif Ali, who had boasted about hitting 100-150 sixes during nets ahead of the Asia Cup 2022 tournament.

Jitesh Sharma, who plays for Vidarbha in Indian domestic cricket, was one of the few positives in an otherwise disappointing campaign for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2023. In his second IPL season, Jitesh scored 309 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 156, hitting 21 sixes and 22 fours.

His effect came in cameos - blasting 25 from seven balls against the Mumbai Indians, including four sixes, 49 not out from 27 balls against the same opponents, 41 from 27 balls against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, 24 from 10 balls against the Lucknow Super Giants, 44 from 28 balls against the Rajasthan Royals.

The 29-year-old right-hander has made a name for himself as a lower-order finisher in T20 cricket, with 2,096 runs overall at a strike rate of 149.

Jitesh Sharma reveals hitting 400 sixes in nets as preparation for IPL

His achievements didn't go unnoticed, as after Sanju Samson's injury forced him out of the Indian T20 selection earlier this year for the home series against Sri Lanka, Jitesh was included in the side as a backup keeper.

Despite not receiving a game, it was clear he remains on the selectors' radar.

He attracted the attention of Virender Sehwag, Ravi Shastri, and Sunil Gavaskar in the IPL 2023 thanks to his attacking performances, and they think he may be a useful alternative for India as the finisher in the T20s.

In an interview with Rediff.com, Jitesh Sharma revealed that he prepares for IPL and his role as a finisher by hitting atleast 400 sixes in net sessions before resting for a few days for his muscles to recover.

Jitesh Sharma said: “I used to hit 400 sixes in a day, it was like 10 sessions of 40 balls each, then take a break of half an hour or one hour. Then sometimes I used to take two days break to let the muscles recover.

Every year I practice to explore my cricket. I try to learn every shot because I am aware that all the teams come prepared for me, they will analyse my videos and try to find out my weaknesses. So I try to keep growing and improving my game, so I can score runs more easily.”

His name is also been reportedly considered for the upcoming West Indies tour for the five-T20I series as India builds towards the 2024 T20 World Cup.