New Delhi: Jitesh Sharma While admitting it was disappointing to be left out of India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup squad, the setback soon paled in comparison to the personal loss he suffered shortly afterwards. The wicketkeeper-batsman’s father Mohan Sharma passed away on February 1 after a brief illness, a moment that changed his perspective on everything.“When I got the news that I was not selected, I was a bit depressed. I am human too. I would feel sad and sad. But then, as time passes, the sadness becomes very short,” Jitesh told PTI in an exclusive interview.
The disappointment of missing out on the global championship was quickly replaced by a deeper emotional challenge.“But then, my dad got sick. He died on February 1. So, I was with him for seven days. Later, I knew that my dad needed me more than the World Cup. Since then, I don’t have any sad feelings, no regrets or anything towards anyone or towards myself. I’m not angry or anything,” he said with sadness in his voice.“I’m grateful that God gave me the opportunity to be with my dad for seven days. So, I was able to take care of him. I loved watching the World Cup on TV at home. It’s a very different feeling. It puts a lot of pressure on you, not the competition. I’m very happy for the kids.”After his father’s death, his responsibilities as the eldest son became a defining part of his life.“I can’t forget that and I don’t want to forget that because he’s gone. When you lose your father, you know after a few days that you now have the responsibility as the eldest son to make decisions in your family.“That’s it – taking care of your mother, brother and family. So, I can’t express my feelings to them or show weakness in front of them because they are also looking at me while playing cricket. I have to accept that,” said Jetesh while reflecting on how life sometimes brings the toughest challenges.He acknowledged that grief does not come all at once but gradually settles down, leaving a permanent emptiness.“After a while, I started to realize it. I couldn’t cope with anything. I just accepted that my dad was gone. There is a part of my heart that is empty now. It will be empty until I die because of my dad.”However, cricket also taught him resilience, helping him to keep going despite the pain.“I learned to live with that sadness and emptiness in practice. Because no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t forget that. Because that’s your father, right? He is my life’s hero. ““If he were alive today, he would tell me to go train. Don’t worry about me. So I always think about that, if I was sad or in pain, what would he tell me? I think he would advise me to go play. I’m very proud of that.”Jitesh also drew comparisons with his India teammate Linku Singh, saying he understands the emotional strength required to return to the field after a personal setback.“Rinku must have felt the same way. That’s why he’s able to come to the surface again. It’s a pretty big deal.”“Why can’t three goalies play together?”On the cricket front, Jitesh remains pragmatic about the team combination. With wicketkeeper-batsmen like Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan also in contention, he said he would be happy to suit up in any role if it helps the team.“I think about it from a different angle. I look at it from a different angle – by doing my job, why not have two goalkeepers in the playing eleven and as finishers in the third game? Indeed, that can happen too. Why not?”learn from it Virat KohliJitesh also spoke about the inspiration he got from watching Virat Kohli at close quarters at Royal Challengers Bangalore and admitted that it was not easy to match the intensity of the former India skipper.“You learn a lot just by observing little things. It could be a life-changing decision or a life-changing observation. Because of the way he prepares, starts the day, not just practices, I think it’s very impressive. Still, I’m 32 years old and I can’t compare to him.”
