Pritam gandhi

Indian Armed Forces: India wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has opened up about his unconventional journey into professional cricket, revealing that the sport was never part of his original life plan and that a chance decision at school trials set him on the path to international cricket.

Speaking on a podcast hosted by former South Africa captain AB de Villiers, Jitesh traced his journey from manifesting dreams of joining the Indian Armed Forces to becoming one of the Indian Premier League’s trusted finishers.

Jitesh revealed that his entry into cricket was purely accidental, driven by a state government incentive rather than ambition. “Growing up, cricket was never part of the plan. I always wanted to go into defence. I was very fascinated and fond of the Army, Air Force. It was a state government rule, offering students 25 extra marks for representing their state in sport, that nudged a few of my friends and me into attending school trials. Spotting only one name listed under the wicketkeeper column, I picked up the gloves on the spot. At that moment, I wore those gloves for the first time. And it came naturally to me,” he recalled.