NEW DELHI: India wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has often credited his calm and composed approach to the people he's worked with - and one name that stands out in that list is head coach Gautam Gambhir. The former India opener, known for his sharp cricketing brain and no-nonsense attitude, played a key role in shaping India's aggressive mindset during the Asia Cup campaign.

Speaking exclusively to Sports Yaari, Jitesh opened up about Gambhir's influence in the dressing room and how his presence helped create a sense of clarity and confidence among the players.

"I think this was the best thing - in the India team, I felt there is so much clarity between the captain, the coach, and the players," Jitesh said. "You always know what is going to happen and what they expect from you. And because of that clarity, your process becomes very easy."

For Jitesh, that environment of trust and transparency was what made all the difference. He revealed that Gambhir's approach wasn't about overloading players with technical advice - it was about sharpening their mindset.

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"Because we've been playing a lot of cricket - IPL, bilateral series, and then the Asia Cup - even he understands you don't need too many skill-based inputs at this stage," Jitesh explained. "So he talks more about the mental side - how you can attack, in what way you can attack, who you can put under pressure. We mostly speak tactically, not technically."

When asked if Gambhir had shared any special advice with him, Jitesh smiled and replied, "Not so far. But I won't reveal it. Not until it actually happens."

Jitesh also revealed how watching Rohit Sharma on YouTube shaped his batting.

"Because I didn't have a coach, YouTube became my first coach," he said. "I used to watch videos of Rohit Sharma. Back then, he had just started playing, and I really liked his batting style. Before that, I was a big fan of Adam Gilchrist - I loved watching him bat. But as Rohit Bhai's career grew and I was around 19–20 years old, I started studying his batting closely."

The admiration soon turned into inspiration. "I used to try to copy his batting," Jitesh laughed. "But honestly, I wasn't worthy of copying him just by watching videos. I would try to bat like him and end up getting out! Eventually, I realised you can't just imitate someone like Rohit Sharma - you can only learn from him."