A day after India’s 51-run defeat to South Africa in the 2nd T20I at New Chandigarh, the internet is buzzing with one unexpected question: “Why did Jitesh Sharma touch Harleen Deol’s feet?”
The wicketkeeper-batter, who scored a fiery 27 off 17 balls, unintentionally created a viral moment after the match when he walked up to Indian women’s cricketer Harleen Deol and touched her feet in a joking way. What followed was instant social-media comedy gold.
Fans were quick to notice something hilarious — Harleen looked ready with a blessing gesture even before Jitesh bent down, sparking playful rumours online.
From “Harleen knew this was coming” to “pre-approved blessings for next match performance,” the inside jokes spread faster than India’s Powerplay collapse.
Jitesh Sharma touched the feet of Harleen Deol 🙏 pic.twitter.com/89NXxFHqL1
— VIKAS (@Vikas662005) December 12, 2025
But behind the humour, the gesture had a simple explanation: respect. Jitesh was acknowledging Harleen’s achievements, including her role in India’s Women’s World Cup-winning campaign.
The match itself was dominated by Quinton de Kock’s 90(46), a late surge from Donovan Ferreira and David Miller, and a tough outing for Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. India’s chase ended at 162, levelling the series 1-1.
Yet, despite the loss, it was Jitesh and Harleen who stole the pre-match spotlight — with fans joking that if blessings truly count, Jitesh is definitely 1–0 up heading into the next T20I.
