India’s home Tests against England in early 2024 had proven that composure and temperament were key elements of Dhruv Jurel’s game. Particularly, the Ranchi Test where his contribution with the bat helped India claw out of tough situations to emerge victorious.
His India appearances, in Test cricket, thereafter were a mix of good and bad times, while he has featured in four T20Is so far, aggregating only 12 runs.
Jurel, though, had a successful Vijay Hazare Trophy last December and January, where he averaged 93 from seven innings, striking at 122.90, including two centuries and four fifties.
That certainly gave him the confidence to take on the challenges of the IPL.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s explosive batting upfront and Jofra Archer’s wickets have been central to Rajasthan Royals’ qualification for this year’s playoffs. But if not for the six half-centuries that Jurel scored alongside his 30 and 40-odds, the job would have been much harder for skipper Riyan Parag and team.
In Wednesday’s Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mullanpur, the 25-year-old’s 21-ball 50 was almost as crucial as Sooryavanshi’s 97 off 29 balls. But following the teenager’s dismissal, Jurel ensured to stretch the team total close to 200 before being dismissed in the 14th over.
Strikingly, following Jurel’s departure, the Royals managed just 51 off the last 6.1 overs of their innings, losing five wickets. “It’s the stability that Dhruv provides to the Royals’ batting order, going in at No.3,” his personal coach Phoolchand Sharma stressed.
“If you look back at the game they won against Mumbai Indians to qualify for the playoffs, he was the team’s top scorer (with 38 off 26 balls) on a wicket that wasn’t the
easiest to bat on. This implies he is adjusting his game according to the situation and the conditions.
“Before he left for the IPL, I told him repeatedly, ‘When batting at No.3, just play according to the team’s requirements.’ He’s doing exactly so, and that has gained him success,” the coach explained.
“I’m meant to keep the ship steady and take it forward,” Jurel said after the Eliminator. “I don’t want my lower-middle order to be batting in the 11th or 12th over. That’s what I have been doing, building a platform for the lower-middle order.”
Before the IPL, Jurel had trained with his coach on the lofted strokes, which he has executed quite well. If he carries on in this fashion and helps the Royals finish on a good note, he should be able to head towards his future India assignments with an even better approach.