Dhruv Jurel, the promising wicketkeeper-batter who made his Test debut for India against England, has drawn comparisons to the legendary MS Dhoni from none other than Sunil Gavaskar. However, Jurel remains humble and focused on his own path.
“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 said at the ‘India Today Conclave’.
Jurel recently revealed a valuable piece of advice he received from Dhoni regarding finishing games. “Every wicketkeeper-batter has his designated batting position, and people often criticize players without understanding their job. Batting at No. 7 or No. 8 is always difficult,” Jurel told Sportstar.
“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.'”
Jurel admitted that Dhoni’s words inspired him. “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.”
Despite the comparisons to Dhoni, Jurel remains focused on his own game. “The competition will be there, but you just need to focus on your game and move on.”
When asked about his chances of breaking into the Indian team for the T20 World Cup, Jurel was honest and realistic. “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 faces competition for the T20 World Cup squad not only from outside but also within his IPL team, Rajasthan Royals. Sanju Samson, one of India’s finest wicket-keeper batters in white-ball cricket, will also be hoping to make a strong case for his inclusion.
