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Jitesh Sharma's T20 World Cup exile: Form, performance, or runs weren't the problem - not being an opener was
Jitesh Sharma's exclusion from India's T20 World Cup squad highlights a controversial selection decision.
Jitesh Sharma’s exclusion from India’s T20 World Cup squad represents one of the harshest selection calls in recent memory. Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar himself conceded that Jitesh “has not done too much wrong,” yet the 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batter was dropped, not for poor performance, but because India changed their team combination strategy.
The statistics paint a damning picture of a player penalised despite delivering exactly what was asked of him.
IPL 2025: An incredible season ignored
Jitesh’s IPL 2025 campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru produced career-best numbers that should have cemented his World Cup spot. Batting in the middle order, he amassed 261 runs at an average of 37.29 with a blistering strike rate of 176.35, precisely the explosive finishing India’s T20 setup desperately needs.
His unbeaten 85 against LSG stands as the tournament’s defining performance. Chasing 228, Jitesh walked in during a high-pressure situation and delivered the highest individual score from number six or below in a successful IPL chase, a record that encapsulates his value as a finisher. He followed this with a crucial 24 off 10 balls in the IPL final, helping RCB secure their maiden IPL title.
Behind the stumps, Jitesh’s 20 dismissals demonstrated his reliability as a wicketkeeper, an aspect Sunil Gavaskar specifically praised, calling him India’s best at assisting captains with DRS decisions since MS Dhoni.
International form
Jitesh Sharma entered the World Cup selection meeting as India’s incumbent wicketkeeper, having played seven consecutive T20Is against Australia and South Africa through December 2025. His recent international strike rate of 158.97 came while batting in the toughest phases, facing quality bowling during pressure situations.
Gavaskar highlighted that Jitesh received only five genuine batting opportunities in these matches yet delivered consistently, a point that underscores the unfairness of his exclusion. When judged purely on performance in the role he was given, Jitesh passed every test.
His overall T20 credentials reinforce this assessment: 3,163 runs across 158 matches at a strike rate of 153.99, with 991 IPL runs at 157.05. These aren’t numbers of someone who failed; these are numbers of a proven middle-order finisher.
Dropped for strategy, not statistics
The official explanation reveals the core injustice. India wanted to openers who can keep wicket, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. This combination preference meant Jitesh, a specialist middle-order finisher, became expendable regardless of his performance.
Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik captured the confusion perfectly: “Dropping Jitesh Sharma, I didn’t see it coming. Just tells you there’s a little bit of clarity lacking.” Former cricketer turned Analyst Aakash Chopra was equally blunt: “Jitesh wouldn’t know what he did wrong.”
The answer is clear: he did nothing wrong. When a player averages over 35 with a striker north of 170, sets IPL records for finishing, and performs consistently in international chances, yet still gets dropped, the problem isn’t the player; it is the planning.
Jitesh Sharma’s World Cup omission stands as a cautionary tale of merit sacrificed at the altar of constantly shifting team strategies.
