Punjab Kings defeated Rajasthan Royals by 5 runs in a closely fought contest in the IPL 2023. Shikhar Dhawan’s bowlers were put to assault by 22-year-old Dhruv Jurel on his debut. Jurel scored 15 balls 32 smashing Arshdeep Singh for 14 runs in the 19th over. His explosive batting has garnered the attention of fans across the nation.
Rajasthan Royals Captain Sanju Samson in the post-match interview said “The coaches have put a lot of work behind Dhruv Jurel. The way they have worked in our academies, having faced 1000s of balls and I’m happy with the way Jurel has been progressing.”
Rajasthan Royals signed the young talent in the 2022 Mega Auction for a base price of INR 20 lakhs. Jurel didn’t get a chance to perform in the 2022 IPL season. IPL’s impact player rule has now allowed the team to experiment and try out young Indian talent.
Jurel coming in as an impact player impressed everyone with his cool and calmness under pressure. Rajasthan Royals chasing a massive target almost won the match. The youngster’s big-hitting ability is a huge positive for the Royals.
Dhruv Jurel is a son of a military man who fought in the Kargil War. Jurel was born on January 21st,2001 in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. His cricketing journey is an inspiring one. Jurel’s mother was so supportive that she sold her jewellery to buy him a cricket kit.
Dhruv Jurel’s Rise to the Top
Dhruv Jurel quickly rose through the ranks at junior-level cricket. Jurel garnered 736 runs in 11 matches in the Cooch Behar U-19 Trophy at an astonishing average of 61.33. His power-hitting prowess combined with his finishing abilities earned him a spot in the India U19 world cup squad in 2020.
Dhruv Jurel was named the vice-captain of the Indian u19 world cup squad. Jurel on his national debut in World Cup scored his maiden 50 against Sri Lanka U19. India went on to reach the finals losing to Bangladesh U19 by 3 wickets. The wicketkeeper batter scored 89 runs in 3 innings.
Dhruv Jurel made his first-class debut for Uttar Pradesh against Vidarbha on Feb 17, 2022. He scored 64 runs on his debut for UP in Ranji Trophy. In 11 first-class matches to date, Jurel has scored 587 runs smashing three fifties and one hundred. His best came against Nagaland in December 2022 where he hammered career-best 249 runs.
Jurel made his debut in the shorter format against Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He opened the innings for UP scoring 23 runs in 30 balls. In 4 matches he amassed 64 runs in the tournament.
“I Admire Kohli, Dhoni and Ab De Villiers”
Dhruv Jurel is an avid cricket follower. He follows cricketing legends a lot. In an interview hosted by Red Bull Jurel said
“AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Especially de Villiers. I am a huge fan of the way he bats, the way he fields, and the way he keeps. He always tries to give his best. I look up to Virat for fitness, and MS Dhoni’s calmness is what I wish to acquire.”
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