Dhruv Jurel was one of the star debutants in India’s Test series against England. The wicketkeeper-batter also earned MS Dhoni comparisons from the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. “Watching the presence of mind of Dhruv Jurel makes me think he’s the next MS Dhoni in the making,” Gavaskar said on Sports 18 during commentary. However, Jurel said he was happy to be just ‘Dhruv Jurel’. “Thank you so much Gavaskar sir for comparing me with Dhoni sir. But I want to say personally that no one can replicate what Dhoni sir has done,” Jurel had said at the ‘India Today Conclave’.
Now, Jurel has revealed a message from MS Dhoni regarding finishing games.
“Every wicketkeeper-batter has his designated batting position, and people often criticise players without understanding their job. Batting at No. 7 or No. 8 is always difficult. I had a conversation with (MS) Dhoni bhaiya regarding this, and he told me that “if you bat at No. 7 or No. 8, failures are certain. You need to cut out the noise and not think about what people say. If you manage to win two out of 10 games for your team, that’s enough,” Dhruv Jurel told Sportstar.
“Those words inspired me a lot. When you bat down the order in a high-pressure situation, you don’t know what the bowlers are thinking, and you can’t afford to waste time. People often consider wicketkeepers as additional batters, but it’s not always easy to bat in tricky situations.
“(Smiles) The competition will be there, but you just need to focus on your game and move on.”
Jurel was recently asked if he is hoping to break the T20 code and get into the Indian team for the World Cup, he made an honest remark and said he doesn’t see himself anywhere.
“I don’t see myself anywhere. It has always been a dream of mine (to play in the World Cup for India). But, I won’t think about it. If I get that opportunity, good. If I don’t get it, fine. It’s about scoring runs for me, play good cricket, help my team win. That’s all I think, no matter what match is it,” Jurel said in a chat with News 24.
Jurel doesn’t face competition for the T20 World Cup squad from outside but also within his IPL team, Rajasthan Royals. Samson, one of the finest wicket-keeper batters in white-ball cricket that India have, would also be hoping to leave a lasting impression and bag that elusive T20 World Cup spot.
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