Jitesh Sharma was in and about the Indian squad around the T20 World Cup squad announcement time. Given the designated role of a finisher, Jitesh was performing well and played some timely cameos through this period in the team. However, as the time to announce the squad for the showpiece event has arrived, the Indian management has decided to drop Jitesh from the squad alongside Shubman Gill and bring in Ishan Kishan into the side. Jitesh, speaking in a video, revealed his heartbreaking tale of his father’s demise and how he dealt with not getting picked for the squad. “I’m also a human, so I did feel sad initially. But my family and friends supported me a lot and that phase passed. My father fell ill and passed away on February 1, and I was with him for seven days. Later I realised my dad needed me more than the World Cup. I have no regrets and I’m grateful to God that I could be with him and take care of him in his final days. I watched the World Cup from home, which is a very different and more stressful feeling than playing. I’m really happy for the boys—they fulfilled the vision of the coach, captain and the team since the Asia Cup…,” Jitesh said speaking to PTI. Earlier in January recalling the snub in an interaction with CricTracker, Jitesh said: “I wasn’t aware of my omission until the squad was announced. After that, I agreed with the explanation given by the selectors in the press conference; it was a valid reason. Later, I had discussions with the coaches and selectors, and I felt their reasoning was fair. I completely understood what they wanted to explain to me, and I agreed with it.” “It was heartbreaking, as I had worked very hard to play in the ICC T20 World Cup. But that’s destiny, I can’t deny it. At that moment, I was numb and couldn’t process anything. Spending time with my family and talking to Dinesh Karthik helped me move forward,” Jitesh added speaking to CrickTracker.
Jitesh Sharma’s heartbreaking tale from losing spot in Indian side to father’s demise: ‘Realised my dad needed me more than the World Cup…’
