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Jitesh Sharma, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter, has joined Baroda to play in the upcoming 2025-26 domestic season after leaving Vidarbha, where he didn’t get an opportunity to play first-class cricket last season. During his time at Vidarbha, the 31-year-old competed for them in white-ball matches under the captaincy of Karun Nair, but he wasn’t able to play any Ranji Trophy matches under captain and first-choice wicketkeeper-batter Akshay Wadkar.
The rumours surrounding the potential move of Jitesh Sharma from Vidarbha to Baroda were swirling around for the last couple of weeks. In a report from ESPNcricinfo published earlier today, it is understood that Krunal Pandya, the captain of Baroda, played a key role in ensuring that Jitesh Sharma arrived to his state side after these two were a part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title win last month.
Jitesh Sharma will be hoping to compete regularly in first-class cricket during 2025-26 season for Baroda
With no opportunities to play the premier first-class tournament Ranji Trophy with Vidarbha last season, Jitesh Sharma will be hoping to compete regularly in it in the upcoming 2025-26 season for Baroda. The stats of the wicketkeeper-batter in first-class cricket don’t have a pretty reading, scoring runs at an average of just 24.28 in 18 matches over the past decade with just four fifties since his debut.
Jitesh Sharma has played nine T20Is for India, and his recent performances in the IPL 2025 season will keep him in good stead in regard to potential return to the national team. But regardless, his focus on first-class cricket at such a crucial stage of his career showcases his determination to play all formats of the game for a foreseeable future, which is a good thing for the sport itself.
India are expected to play a lot of white-ball cricket heading into the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, and Jitesh Sharma will be looking to secure his spot in the 15-member squad with consistent performances in T20 cricket over the next few months.
