IPL 2023: Sunil Joshi backs Jitesh Sharma to get his maiden India cap soon

Jitesh Sharma has been striking at 165 plus in IPL 2023 and is the second-highest run-getter for PBKS this season.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) spin coach and former India spinner Sunil Joshi has lauded keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma to get his maiden India cap soon thanks to his performances in the ongoing IPL 2023.

Jitesh was part of the India T20 squad in the previous two series but could not get a game. Considering the consistency, he has shown in domestic cricket and IPL over the past 24 months, the Punjab Kings wicketkeeper-batter could get his opportunity in the next T20 series featuring India.

"Jitesh has been wonderful. He shows his quality and that is one of the reasons he was picked in the Indian team in place of Sanju Samson. He has performed well in domestic and IPL in the last 18 months and that is the reason he is ahead of some other wicketkeepers," Joshi, who was an India selector between 2020-2022, told PTI.

Jitesh has been striking at 165 plus in this IPL and is the second-highest run-getter of the team behind skipper Shikhar Dhawan. Also, he has competition from the likes of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are the other top contenders for the slot as Rishabh Pant continues to recover from injuries suffered in a car accident last December.

"Jitesh was already in the team in the last T20 series. His role is to go out and express himself with the bat and enjoy, and he has been doing exactly that for Punjab Kings. Let's stick to the T20 format, he has done well consistently in this format in the last two years of IPL. That performance was recognized by the wise people who picked him to represent the Indian team," said Joshi.

He is a fantastic bowler: Sunil Joshi on Arshdeep Singh

Since he played in the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup, Arshdeep's career has risen quickly and he has an outstanding work ethic. He is Punjab's top wicket-taker in the current IPL, but he has allowed nearly 10 runs per over.

Joshi praised him and said: "He is a fantastic bowler. He had a couple of off days, which are part of the game and is a learning curve. We all know how sincerely and consistently he has performed for Punjab. His work ethic is exemplary and every net session he practices the way he would bowl in a match."

Punjab is one of the few IPL teams that has never won a championship; their only final appearance was in 2014. In the previous four iterations of IPL, they came in sixth. Although this season has been uneven overall, the squad is still very much in the running for a playoff spot.