Jitesh, the finisher in making

The 30-year-old, in his short career, has shown why he deserves a longer rope in middle-order

- GOMESH S

FROM the outset, 64 runs in three T20I innings-21.33 average and 164.1 strike rate might not scream 'wow'. That is Jitesh Sharma's international career so far. However, the sample size is just too small. So is the pool of players who have been designated to do what he does for the Indian team come in at No. 6, take on bowlers and put the team in a position of strength without taking any time to settle in.

Purely on numbers, Rinku Singh (187.5), Suryakumar Yadav (171.23) and Venkatesh Iyer (170.42) are the only frontline batters to have better SR while batting at No. 5 or below for India. Then again, the sample size is too small there as well. However, when SKY broke into the team and made that kind of impact, he showed what was possible. He is India's best T20 batter and there is a reason why he bats at No. 3/4 and still plays the way he does. If you have watched Jitesh bat in the Indian Premier League and ongoing India-Australia series, you'd know by now the promise he has shown to change the game.