3 young RR batters to watch out for in IPL 2024 ft. Dhruv Jurel
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) will kick off their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday, March 24th.
The Sanju Samson-led side will be hoping for a better showing this time around after failing to qualify for the playoffs last season.
Following their disappointing campaign, RR addressed some key weaknesses in their team during the IPL 2024 mini-auction.
They have bolstered their batting with the signings of Rovman Powell and Tom Kohler-Cadmore and even traded in Avesh Khan to infuse some more might into their pace battery. They now also have a cover for Trent Boult in the form of another left-arm quick, Nandre Burger.
Given the star power available, RR arguably boast one of the most fearsome lineups in the tournament. However, the Rajasthan-based franchise also has a history of nurturing young talent.
On that very note, let's take a look at three young batters from RR who can have a breakout season in IPL 2024.
#3 Shubham Dubey
Rajasthan Royals splashed out a handsome fee of ₹5.80 crore to acquire the services of Shubham Dubey at the IPL 2024 auction. An unknown commodity to many, Dubey is a hard-hitting middle-order batter, who loves to bat aggressively.
He represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket and he has played 20 T20s, smashing 485 runs at a strike rate of over 145. Dubey was in freakish form at the year's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).
Batting seven times in the tournament, Dubey struck 221 runs at an immaculate average and strike rate of 73.66 and 187.29, respectively.
He even played a stupendous innings of 58* from just 20 balls against Bengal and helped his side chase down 213 with 13 balls to spare.
In the upcoming IPL season, Rajasthan might look to play Dubey as an impact sub, where the southpaw might look to leave his impression.
#2 Dhruv Jurel
Dhruv Jurel will be a much different individual in the upcoming IPL edition than he was when he made his debut in IPL 2023. The wicket-keeper batter shone brightly after dishing out some remarkable cameos last season.
While he made only 152 runs, he achieved those at an outstanding strike rate of 172.73, the second-best by an Indian after Suryakumar Yadav (181.14). Jurel was quick to make his name into the RR side and will be a key figure for the franchise this time as well.
While Jurel showed great courage last year, he will definitely be extra motivated and confident in the forthcoming edition. This is simply due to the fact that he is an India player now.
The 23-year-old received his Test cap during the recently concluded Test series against England, where he again mightily impressed everyone courtesy of his temperament and vigour. Following the conclusion of the series, Jurel was also awarded the annual contract after meeting with BCCI's criteria.
#1 Riyan Parag
It is not often that a 22-year-old player enters another IPL edition with an experience of playing across as many as five seasons. However, that is the case with Riyan Parag, who is yet to prove his mettle in the cash-rich league.
Having said that, IPL 2024 might be Parag's best chance to showcase himself. After all, he is enjoying inarguably the best form of his life, consistently putting up dominating performances with the bat for his state Assam.
Parag had a breathtaking SMAT 2023, where he ended up as the highest run-getter with 510 runs at an astronomical average and strike rate of 85.00 and 182.20.
Apart from this, he even bagged 11 wickets in that tournament, showcasing clear signs that he can fill in for the sixth-bowling option role for RR as well.
Parag's strike rate of 113.85 was also the best in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy 2023/24 (minimum of 300 runs). While batting six times in the longest format, the right-hander amassed 378 runs at an average of 75.68, including two hundreds.
Given all the numbers he has put up in the domestic circuit in the last few months, Parag would be rearing to repay the faith shown on him by the RR management over the years.