The Indian cricket board (BCCI), late on Friday, announced the squad for the first two Tests against England. The Indian cricket team will face England in a five-match series staring later this month. Indian cricket team fast bowler Mohammed Shami missed out due to injury while Ishan Kishan, who asked for a break mid-way through India’s Tour of South Africa, was also not picked. However, the inclusion of Uttar Pradesh player Dhruv Jurel headlined the selection. The 22-year-old was a part of India A squad that played two matches against their South African counterparts in December last year.
He had made a 69 in the second match at Benoni and more recently made a 63 for UP against Kerala in a first round group game of the Ranji Trophy at Alappuzha. He has been picked as a third wicketkeeper in the squad.
Jurel, who had made his First-Class debut last year against Vidarbha, has so far made 790 runs from 15 matches at an average of 46 with a hundred and five fifties in the domestic circuit.
Dhruv Jurel’s story is very inspiring. Coming from humble background, Dhruv Jurel rose up the ranks and made his name in domestic circuit.
“I used to study in Army School. During holidays I though about joining cricket camp at Eklavya Stadium in Agra. I filled up the form but did not tell my dad. When he came to know, he scolded me. However, he borrowed Rs 800 to buy me a cricket bat. When I told him I needed a cricket kit, dad asked me how much it would cost. I told him about Rs six to seven thousand and he told me to stop playing. But I was adamant and locked myself in the bathroom. Then my mom sold her gold chain and got me cricket kit,” Dhruv Jurel told Dainik Jagran.
“My friends told me that I got selected for Indian team. When I told them that I have been selected, they asked me ‘which Indian team I got selected?’ I told them Rohit bhaiya, Virat Bhaiya wala Indian team. My whole family got emotional after hearing this.”
Squad for first 2 Tests vs England: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan
