He was bought by PBKS during the IPL 2022 auction.
A Punjab Kings (PBKS) star, who was released by the franchise ahead of the retention deadline and will now go under the hammer at the IPL 2025 auction revealed his choice of team to go to.
Jitesh Sharma, who was bought by PBKS during the IPL 2022 auction, is now targeting two teams which have won the most number of IPL titles (5) – Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as his next destination.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Jitesh said, “A player must be ready to go to any team. But if I don’t get a chance in PBKS, then MI [Mumbai Indians] or CSK [Chennai Super Kings] are good options. I like both those teams very much.”
As for PBKS’ retention, the franchise decided to retain only two players in Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh. Notably, the Preity Zinta co-owned side will now enter the upcoming IPL 2025 auction with the highest remaining purse value at INR 110.5 crore.
Although Jitesh impressed as a finisher for PBKS in IPL 2022 and 2023 with a strike rate of over 150 which resulted in national selection, his performances however dropped in IPL 2024 with a dismal average of 17 at a strike rate of 131.69 in 14 outings.
The 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batter also served as vice-captain for PBKS in the 2024 IPL season and stepped in as captain for a few games, demonstrating his readiness for future leadership roles.
Regrettably for Jitesh and PBKS, the team fell short of making the playoffs in each season from 2022 to 2024.
Jitesh has now been included in the Indian squad for the upcoming four-match T20I series against South Africa, beginning on November 8 and will have a shot of recovering his lost ground.
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