The Indian cricket team boasts several talented wicketkeeping options, and one of the standout rising stars is 23-year-old Dhruv Jurel.
Having already impressed early in his international career, Jurel was retained by the Rajasthan Royals for a hefty INR 14 crore ahead of IPL 2025, underscoring the franchise’s faith in his potential.
The decision to retain Jurel over international stars like Jos Buttler and Yuzvendra Chahal surprised many, but it appears to be part of a strategic plan led by RR head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Sanju Samson.
In a notable move, Samson has expressed his willingness to step back from wicketkeeping duties to give Jurel more responsibility, which could strengthen the young cricketer’s case for a spot in India’s Test team.
“I haven’t said this publicly before, but we feel Dhruv Jurel is at a stage in his career where he’s a Test wicketkeeper,” Samson shared during a conversation with AB de Villiers on the latter’s YouTube channel.
“He needs to wear the gloves in the IPL at some point. We’ve discussed sharing the wicketkeeping duties, and I’ve told him, ‘Dhruv, I understand where you’re coming from, and I believe in your leadership abilities. You should keep wickets in some games.’ The team always comes first, and we’ll figure out how to make it work.”
Jurel has already demonstrated his capability in the longest format, shining in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy warm-up games. With an impressive Test average of 40.40 and a First-Class average of 45.74, his consistency is evident.
In the IPL, he has played 27 matches, scoring 347 runs at a striking overall strike rate of 151.53.
As Jurel continues to develop, the Rajasthan Royals’ investment and Sanju Samson’s supportive leadership could prove instrumental in shaping the young wicketkeeper’s career at both domestic and international levels.