Jitesh Sharma exposed Sanju Samson's age-fraud? RCB star’s "elder brother" statement for CSK keeper goes viral

Jitesh Sharma opened up about his relationship with Sanju Samson after taking over the wicketkeeping duties for India in the opening T20I against South Africa. The RCB wicketkeeper-batter described Samson as an “elder brother” figure in his cricketing journey despite being older than the Kerala cricketer.

Samson was pushed into a middle-order position after Shubman Gill returned to the top order. Following his disappointing performances, the team backed Jitesh Sharma, considering his natural finisher role. Jitesh has become India’s preferred wicketkeeper-batter in recent T20Is, including the opening match.

Sanju Bhaiya Is a Great Player - Jitesh Sharma

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Jitesh Sharma opened up about the relationship between him and Sanju Samson. The RCB batter said that they compete for the same role. He described Samson as an elder brother figure, someone whose presence pushes him to bring out his best.

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“I am very grateful that he is in the team. Frankly speaking, he is like an elder brother. Because of having a healthy competition, your talent comes out. It’s good for the team also. There is so much talent. You can feel it," stated (as quoted by Revsportz).

"Sanju bhaiya is a great player. I have to compete with him, that’s when I have to be at my best. We both are trying to play for India. We are like brothers. We share a lot of experience with each other. He helps me a lot,” he added.

Why Jitesh Sharma Calls Sanju Samson His “Elder Brother” Despite Being Older

Jitesh Sharma calling Sanju Samson his “elder brother” is more about respect than age. Sharma is 32 and older than Samson, but experience matters more in cricket.

Samson has been part of the Indian team since 2015 and has played many more international matches. Jitesh, on the other hand, only made his India debut in 2023. Samson is seen as the senior player in the group.

Jitesh’s comment shows admiration for Samson’s journey and the guidance he receives from him. He has been India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter since the third T20I match during the recent Australia tour.

India Crush South Africa by 101 Runs to Take 1-0 Lead in the Series

Coming to the match, India secured a 101-run victory in Cuttack on Tuesday, December 9. After being asked to bat first, they reached 175 for 6. Hardik Pandya scored an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls, including five boundaries and four sixes.

Tilak Varma and Axar Patel added useful runs as well. For South Africa, Lungi Ngidi picked up three wickets. South Africa collapsed to just 74 all out. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, and Axar Patel picked up two wickets each, while Hardik and Shivam Dube chipped in with one apiece.

Hardik secured the Player of the Match award as India went 1-0 ahead in the five-match series. Jitesh Sharma also made a small contribution of 10 runs off 5 balls, including one six.

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