skywritg.com – Today’s Pulse & News Briefings

Team India, fresh off a dominant win against UAE in their Asia Cup 2025 opener, is keenly observing Afghanistan, a formidable T20 opponent. Key players like Sanju Samson and Hardik Pandya were seen analyzing Afghanistan's net practice, focusing on their explosive batting and diverse bowling attack.

Despite Sanju Samson's impressive domestic form in the Kerala Cricket League, his place in India's Asia Cup 2025 playing XI is uncertain due to Shubman Gill's return. Irfan Pathan suggests Samson could potentially replacing Jitesh Sharma, but highlighted that he needs to play lower down the batting order to do so.

Jitesh Sharma's dream of lifting the IPL trophy alongside Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik materialized after RCB's victory. His impactful performance, particularly his impressive strike rate while batting in the lower order, earned him a spot in India's Asia Cup squad. Despite Kohli's desire to see Jitesh's fun side, Jitesh maintained a respectful distance due to his small-town upbringing.

Jitesh Sharma scored only 261 runs in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) title-winning season, but it was not the runs that caught the selectors’ eyes, it was his 176.35 strike rate while batting at 6 and 7. Jitesh, who never had a coach, learnt cricket by watching YouTube videos of his childhood heroes Adam Gilchrist and Sourav Ganguly. Making a comeback into the Indian team at the age of 31 is as breathtaking as his cricketing sojourn.

As the Asia Cup 2025 approaches, debate intensifies over India's wicketkeeper. Aakash Chopra favors Sanju Samson, citing his impressive top-order T20 record with over 6,000 runs at a 140 strike rate. Samson's recent explosive form, including centuries against Bangladesh and South Africa, strengthens his case.

Wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma, after a period of self-reflection following his initial T20I appearances, has made a remarkable comeback to the Indian team. His resurgence was fueled by a strong IPL season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he showcased his finishing abilities and even captained the team in Rajat Patidar's absence.