The making of Dhruv Jurel: From Agra to Rajasthan
When Dhruv Jurel coolly nudged a leg-stump delivery from Tom Hartley behind square for a double to finish off one of India's best Test wins at Ranchi, it felt like the first step in the making of a future superstar.
At just 23, the wicket-keeper batter displayed nerves of steel in both innings of only his second Test outing after an impressive 46 on debut at Rajkot. On a slow and low Ranchi wicket, Jurel walked in with the side in dire straits at 161/5 in response to England's 353 in the first innings.
The score soon read 177/7, yet an unfazed Jurel showcased temperament beyond his years to rescue the home team to 307 with a masterful 90 off 149 deliveries. Buoyed by the youngster's knock, India found their mojo again and bowled England out for a paltry 145 to set themselves a run-chase of 192.
However, India still found a way to make heavy weather of the chase by struggling at 120/5 just after lunch on Day 4. But Jurel was hell-bent on winning the game for the team and scored another invaluable 39* off 77 to help seal the deal by five wickets.
The win meant India wrapped up the series 3-1 with one match remaining as Jurel was adjudged the Player of the Match for his incredible batting displays.
While the destination is often most talked about as success, the journey gets overlooked despite actually defining the sportsman, and India's newest potential star is no different in that regard.
On that note, let us look into the story of Dhruv Jurel and how he worked himself from a young man born in Agra to playing for the Rajasthan Royals before eventually breaking into the Indian Test team.
How Dhruv Jurel, the son of a Kargil War officer, took to cricket in his early years
Born in Agra in January 2021, Dhruv Jurel was the son of Nem Singh, a retired Indian Army and Kargil War veteran. Coming from an Army background, Nem wanted his son to complete the National Defence Academy (NDA) exam and serve as a soldier for the nation.
However, Jurel had other ideas as he was drawn towards cricket during his school days and started playing in summer camps. The turnaround came when Nem received feedback on his son's incredible batting skills, though he remained doubtful about a career in sports.
In a recent interview with Indian Express, Jurel's father recalled those days by saying:
"No one from my family has played cricket. Everyone who saw him bat said, ‘ladka achha hai, aap ise cricket mein daalo’. But I’m a father and was worried about his future too. Cricket nahi hua toh kya hoga (what if he didn’t make it big in cricket)? Dhruv was not that good in studies either."
Nem further recollected how Jurel's mother had to pawn her only gold chain to buy his first playing kit.
"I had to borrow 800 rupees then because we didn’t have money. He later wanted a kit bag but it was very expensive, some 6000 rupees. I said ‘mat khelo, itna paisa nahi hai (leave the game, I don’t have so much money).’ But he locked himself in the bathroom and his mother decided to pawn her only gold chain, which was how we managed to buy his first kit bag. Now, I laugh sometimes when I recall those moments but one thing was clear. He was ready to work hard," said Nem Singh.
The incident even made Jurel nearly quit cricket because of the financial instability and a lack of support, forcing him to ponder running away from home. However, from that moment when his mother sacrificed her gold chain, Jurel wanted to ensure it did not go to waste.
He spoke to Hindustan Times in an interview earlier this year about his mother's sacrifice.
"Us waqt toh realise nahi hua (I did not realise it then) but when I understood how big a sacrifice it was, I became more determined," said Jurel.
Nem then met coach Parvendra Yadav, who ran the Springdale Academy in Agra to begin cricket coaching for Jurel.
The move to Noida that sparked the turnaround in Jurel's cricketing aspirations
Despite topping the run-charts in Junior cricket at Agra, Dhruv Jurel moved to Noida to search for better opportunities.
In 2014, at just 13, the youngster went to Noida's most famous cricket coach, Phool Chand, to request to join his academy.
In a recent interview, as quoted by TOI, Phool recalled noticing a quiet confidence in the young man that he welcomed despite not being accompanied by his parents:
"Before I could ask anything, the boy said, 'Sir my name is Dhruv Jurel and please take me in your academy', he requested. I didn't see any parent accompanying him... Seeing a 13-year-old travel alone, I knew this boy was special."
Despite his father not being sold on Jurel's cricketing career, Jurel's mother came to the rescue again. As the travel back and forth from Agra to Noida started to take a toll on his physical and mental health, his mother decided to shift to Noida with her son.
Finally, all the faith from his family was repaid as Jurel, on the back of consistent performances for Uttar Pradesh across all age groups, was selected to the Indian Under-19 side.
From under-19 exploits to IPL contract with the Rajasthan Royals
With a series of impressive performances for the India Under-19 side, Dhruv Jurel was named the vice-captain for the 2020 U-19 World Cup. The youngster played a few handy innings in the lower middle order with an average of 44.50 for the tournament to help India advance to the final.
Despite defeat to Bangladesh in the summit clash, Jurel subsequently debuted for Uttar Pradesh in the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He soon played all three formats for the state in 2022 and 2023.
However, it was his six-hitting ability, especially over extra cover, during the Rajasthan Royals trails at the high-performance center in 2022 that prompted the franchise to acquire the Jurel in the auction that year.
During the above-mentioned interview with Hindustan Times, Jurel also spoke of his father Nem Singh's backing when it took him three attempts to get into an IPL franchise since the 2020 U-19 World Cup.
"There was never any negativity. My father told me that I needed to do something different in order to stand out. I should always wait for my time," recalled Jurel.
Despite not getting a single game in the 2022 season, Jurel revealed the conversation the management had with him after RR's defeat in the final to the Gujarat Titans.
"With Jaiswal, Sanju (Samson) bhaiya and Jos (Buttler) bhai, there was no space in the top-order. So Kumar Sangakkara (RR coach) sir and the management were pretty clear that are looking at me at 6 or 7 and the same was conveyed to me after last year's final," Jurel told Hindustan Times.
The 23-year-old finally debuted for the side in the second game of the 2023 season against the Punjab Kings. With a sensational 32 off 15 deliveries at No. 8, Jurel almost helped RR steal a victory out of nowhere as they fell short by five runs in a run-chase of 198.
The knock helped the right-hander get a continued run as the team's finisher and he took the opportunity with both hands, averaging almost 22 at an outstanding strike rate of 172.73 in 13 games.
RR Academy to MS Dhoni's advice during IPL enhances consistency and leads to eventual national selection
Dhruv Jurel's excellent 2023 IPL season as a finisher for RR took his game to the point where he could now adapt to different game situations with attack and defense.
He thanked the RR academy for his excellent performances in IPL 2023 and since, where they worked on his power-hitting and situational batting.
"The RR coaches helped a lot. I trained for 5-6 hours a day in the RR academy. From situational practice to power-hitting everything was a regularity. I got a lot of confidence and that helped me when I finally got an opportunity to bat in the middle," Jurel told Hindustan Times.
He also debuted in the List-A format for India A in the 2023 ACC Men's Emerging Asia Cup. While batting in the lower middle order has its share of limitations, Jurel revealed his conversation with the legendary MS Dhoni during the IPL on how to excel at the position.
"I asked him, you have batted your entire life at No 6 and 7 and have done so well. What is the secret and is there anything different that he follows while doing this job for his team? He told me ‘it’s a thankless job, there’s more failures than success, so don’t think much. The only good thing about being a finisher is that you expect the worst and prepare accordingly. Not every day you can finish the match," said Jurel to Indian Express.
With an exceptional season for Uttar Pradesh in the 2022/23 Ranji Trophy, averaging 71.50 in six outings, Jurel became a regular in the India A side.
After a solid start to the ongoing Ranji season, the youngster scored a timely 69 against South Africa A, followed by another half-century against England A last month. Jurel averages over 50 in first-class cricket and 47.25 in List-A matches.
It led to his selection to the Indian Test squad for the England series and his eventual debut in the third Test at Rajkot. After his heroics in the recent fourth Test, several experts and fans have touted him as the heir apparent to Dhoni.