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The 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, who last played for India on January 14, 2024, has scored 100 runs in seven innings of nine matches played so far.
KL Rahul is India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs. (Picture Credit: AFP)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors are set to announce India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad on Tuesday (August 19) in Mumbai. This year’s Asia Cup will feature eight teams, and the matches will be played in T20I format from September 9 to 28 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Suryakumar Yadav, after passing a fitness test at BCCI’s CoE in Bengaluru recently, will lead the Indian team. There’s tough competition for multiple spots in the Indian team, and one of the crucial positions is wicketkeeping.
While Sanju Samson is India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in T20Is, it remains to be seen who will be his backup in the Asia Cup 2025. According to a report in Sportstar on Sunday (August 17), 31-year-old Jitesh Sharma, who plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL, is set to earn a T20I comeback.
Jitesh was in red-hot form for RCB in the IPL 2025 and played a big role in the team’s title win.
It has been reported that “Jitesh is expected to replace Dhruv Jurel, who was the reserve keeper-batter behind Sanju Samson during the England series.”
Jitesh, who has 100 runs in seven innings of nine T20Is for India, last played a T20I match in Indore on January 14, 2024, against Afghanistan.
Jitesh Sharma’s performance in T20Is, IPL 2025 and IPL (overall)
| T20Is | IPL 2025 | IPL (Overall) | |
| MATCHES | 9 | 15 | 55 |
| INNINGS | 7 | 11 | 47 |
| RUNS | 100 | 261 | 991 |
| AVERAGE | 14.28 | 37.28 | 25.41 |
| STRIKE RATE | 147.05 | 176.35 | 157.05 |
| BEST SCORE | 35 | 85* | 85* |
| 100/50 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 0/1 |
| 4/6s | 11/4 | 24/17 | 77/62 |
| CATCHES | 3 | 19 | 44 |
| STUMPINGS | 1 | 1 | 5 |
KL Rahul is India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs, and the 33-year-old right-handed batter from Karnataka also impressed with his performances in the Champions Trophy, IPL and Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy this year, but it looks like he has to wait for some more time to make his return to India’s T20I squad.
KL Rahul’s performance in T20Is, IPL 2025 and IPL (overall)
| T20Is | IPL 2025 | IPL (Overall) | |
| MATCHES | 72 | 13 | 145 |
| INNINGS | 68 | 13 | 136 |
| RUNS | 2265 | 539 | 5222 |
| AVERAGE | 37.75 | 53.90 | 46.21 |
| STRIKE RATE | 139.12 | 149.72 | 136.02 |
| BEST SCORE | 110* | 112* | 132* |
| 100/50 | 2/22 | 1/3 | 5/40 |
| 4/6s | 191/99 | 52/21 | 452/208 |
| CATCHES | 23 | 3 | 81 |
| STUMPINGS | 1 | 0 | 7 |
Rahul, who is one of the four players to score more than 2000 runs in T20Is for India, last played a T20I match in Adelaide on November 10, 2022, against England.
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