
He hopes to take advantage of the opportunity to become a pillar of the team.
Young wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel has earned a place in the playing XI for the IND vs ENG second T20I at Chepauk.
With Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rinku Singh ruled out with a side strain and lower back spasm respectively, India brought in Dhruv Jurel along with Washington Sundar for the contest in Chennai.
While it was a stroke of luck for the 24-year-old cricketer, he hopes to make the most of the opportunity in a bid to become a pillar of the team. Let’s take a look at the possible roles in which Jurel can claim his place in the T20I team.
Dhurv Jurel as second option goalkeeper
While Sanju Samson is already the designated goalkeeper for India in the shortest format, Jurel can push for the second goalkeeper option. Although India has players like Rishabh Pant available, despite having ample opportunities in the shortest format, Pant’s results have been disappointing.
Later, he was excluded from the ongoing IND vs ENG T20I series. Not that Pant has rested as he is currently playing in the Ranji Trophy, which clearly implies that the selectors are looking to explore other options where Jurel can capitalise.
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Dhruv Jurel as a pure middle order batsman
He can also be a great option to have just one pure middle-order batsman in the lineup. While Jurel has more caps in red-ball cricket for India than in T20Is, interestingly, before coming into the Test group, he was considered a T20 specialist.
Additionally, Jurel bats lower in the order and may aim to cement his place in the finisher’s role. While he is unlikely to get a chance to score big, what will be looked at is his impact on batting. Therefore, he can offer healthy competition to Rinku Singh for the spot and some good consistent performances could give Jurel the edge.
Also, since someone like Nitish Kumar Reddy doesn’t bowl as much in the shortest format, he can be rotated with Jurel in case India wants to play with an extra batsman. India have Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya, who can very well shoulder the responsibilities of the fifth bowler.
Jurel has played two T20Is so far scoring six runs. And although his numbers don’t exactly reveal his talent, Jurel’s development has been extremely good. In IPL, Jurel averages 23 and has a strike rate of over 150 in 27 games.
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