'He has no fear of the game' - Brad Haddin praises Jitesh Sharma after PBKS vs MI clash in Mohali

Brad Haddin, Punjab Kings (PBKS) assistant coach, was full of praises for the talented keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, stating he has no fear of the game. Jitesh played a key role in the PBKS' previous encounter against Mumbai Indians  (MI) in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), despite his side losing the match. He scored an unbeaten 27-ball 49, which included five fours and two sixes, which was his highest-ever score in the IPL.

According to Haddin, Jitesh is progressing well and has gained a lot of confidence throughout the competition. The coach also said that the PBKS team intended to advance him up in the order so he may have more opportunities to face more balls.

“He’s [Jitesh] developing nicely. He has gained a lot of confidence as the tournament has gone on and that reflected in the way we used him tonight [Wednesday]. He played really well in the previous games but only faced 10 balls and tonight we wanted him to go up the order and give him the opportunity to face more balls,” Haddin was quoted as saying by India Today Sports post the game.

Jitesh has got the unique ability to go from ball one: Haddin

The Assistant coach of the Punjab Kings, Brad Haddin, went on to say that irrespective of the situation, Jitesh has no fear of the game and also possesses a special ability to hit big shots right from the first ball. He also stated that he believes that the more balls he faces, the better for his progress. The 29-year-old keeper-hitter has been an asset for PBKS in the middle order, with the greatest strike rate of any batter in IPL 2023 while facing the first 10 balls.

“We have seen, once he goes out there, he has no fear of the game. He’s building really well. He’s starting to mature into his game. He’s one of those players who has got the unique ability to go from ball one. I think the more balls he faces is good for his development. A think we’ll see a lot more of these sort of innings,” Haddin concluded.