Who is RR's sensation Dhruv Jurel? Decoding his stats
Punjab Kings (PBKS) beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by five runs to record their second successive win in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). It was a high-scoring affair that went right down to the wire. Though RR came second in the contest, they unearthed a gem in the form of Dhruv Jurel. The youngster slammed an unbeaten 15-ball 32. Here are his stats.
A brisk cameo from Jurel
While Jurel wasn't a part of RR's initial XI, he made his IPL debut as an 'Impact Player' in the second innings. He arrived to bat at number eight with the Royals needing 74 runs off 30 deliveries. The youngster joined forces with Shimron Hetmyer (36) and the duo added 62 runs in no time. Jurel smoked three boundaries and two maximums.
Who is Dhruv Jurel?
Born on January 21, 2001, Jurel hails from Agra, Uttar Pradesh. The wicketkeeper-batter was the vice-captain of the India U-19 team in the 2020 ICC U-19 World Cup, where India finished runners-up. The wicket-keeper didn't get many opportunities in the competition as he slammed 89 runs in three innings at 44.50. RR signed him for Rs. 20 lakh in the IPL 2022 mega auction.
Here we look at his stats
Jurel first came into the limelight by scoring 736 runs from 11 matches in his debut season in the Cooch Behar Trophy. Meanwhile, the PBKS game was just his fourth T20 appearance as he now owns 60 runs in the format. He has made a blistering start to his First-Class career, having scored 587 runs in 11 games at 48.91.
Marathon knock versus Nagaland
His only FC ton to date was a 249-run knock versus Nagaland in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season. Opening the batting, the dasher scored 249 off 329 deliveries with the help of 26 boundaries and a couple of maximums.
How did the match pan out?
PBKS were off to a flier after Sanju Samson elected to field. Both openers Prabhsimran Singh (60) and Shikhar Dhawan (86*) scored half-centuries to power PBKS's innings. Jitesh Sharma also fired a 16-ball 27 as the Kings compiled 197/4. RR suffered a top-order collapse before Samson slammed 42. Although Jurel and Hetmyer fired, RR fell five runs short.
Who are Jurel's idols?
The 22-year-old idolizes talismans like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers. "Especially de Villiers. I am a huge fan of the way he bats, the way he fields, and the way he keeps," Jurel was quoted as saying by Redbull. "I look up to Virat for fitness, and MS Dhoni's calmness is what I wish to acquire."
