"Not surprised..": Jitesh Sharma reacts to his inclusion in India squad for Asian Games

Jitesh Sharma received his maiden T20I call-up in 2023 against Sri Lanka as Sanju Samson's replacement but didn't play any games.

On Friday, the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a second-string team for the 19th edition of the Asian Games 2023. It saw a totally new-look team, which will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad. This is the first time that India will send its men's cricket team to the Asian Games. The new-look team had players who did well in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League.

The 29-year-old wicket-keeper batter from the Punjab Kings, Jitesh Sharma, also made the cut to the Indian T20I squad that will travel to China for the Asian Games 2023. He is also part of his team after back-to-back brilliant seasons for PBKS in the IPL. The matches in the upcoming event will take place between September 28 and October 8. All the cricket matches will be played at the Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field.

"Not surprised"- Jitesh Sharma reacts to his inclusion in the Indian team for the Asian Games 2023

This is not the first time that Jitesh Sharma has joined the Indian squad. Earlier this year, he was picked as a replacement for the injured Sanju Samson in the series against Sri Lanka. But unfortunately, he didn't play any games. However, after getting picked in India's Asian Games squad, Jitesh said that he was not surprised and was expecting it. He also added that he had a gut feeling that he would get his chance very soon.

In an interview with the PTI news agency, Jitesh said, "Not surprised. Somehow as a player, you have that inkling that you are there in the mix and I think it was a well-deserved call-up." He also added that when he told his parents about his selection, his parents knew it already as the news came out late on July 14. The 29-year-old said that he was happy to be part of such a big event and is currently taking part in the pre-season camp with the Vidarbha team.

He added that it was his friend who called him and told him about his selection. His parents went to sleep, and when he got out the next day, they already knew about his selection. Furthermore, he also revealed his interaction with India's head coach, Rahul Dravid, when he joined the squad against Sri Lanka. He revealed his chat when Dravid said, "The way you are batting, continue in the same vein. We are specifically looking for players like these for certain batting positions." Jitesh Sharma was one of the leading scorers for PBKS in 2023, scoring 309 runs at a strike rate of 156.