Dhruv Jurel may not have been in the playing XI in the first four matches of the ENG vs IND 2025 Test series, but his contribution to the team hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Jurel, who plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, stepped in as the substitute wicketkeeper in the third and fourth Tests after Rishabh Pant picked up injuries in both matches.
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During the third Test at Lord’s, Jurel showcased his prowess behind the stumps by taking three catches to help India dismiss Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes.
He followed it up with a couple more catches and stumpings during the fourth Test in Manchester, and Jurel later spoke about his team-first mindset.
"A team man is one who does that one thing whether you are playing or not - which helps the team win," Jurel said in an interview with the BCCI. "We try, whenever that opportunity comes, we do that one thing which helps the team win."
Jurel, whose temperament as a substitute wicketkeeper was praised by former Royals captain Ajinkya Rahane recently, also admitted that playing at the iconic Lord’s stadium fulfilled a lifelong dream.
“Ever since I was a child, I always thought about playing at Lord’s and then I was playing there. So, I was just feeling the moment and enjoyed it a lot, my experience was very good,” he said.
The wicketkeeper batter went on to explain why he’s so eager to prove himself in such challenging foreign conditions.
"To overcome challenges when you go overseas is always a special thing. If you perform overseas, people will rate you high so I am very excited, just want to go out and express myself,” Jurel opined.
The 24-year-old also expressed concern about the injury to his teammate Rishabh Pant and thanked him for his guidance.
"First of all, what happened with Rishabh bhaiya was very unfortunate,” he said. "Rishabh bhaiya is a senior player, he told me on which line I can take the stance and about the feet movement and that is something I have been working on off the field with (T) Dilip sir (fielding coach)."
The fifth and final Test of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy is set to begin on Thursday. England currently leads the series 2-1. With Rishabh ruled out with his injury, Jurel has been named in the playing XI for the match.
Jurel impressed on debut during the home series against England last year, scoring 190 runs in four innings at an average of 63.33.
His standout performance came in Ranchi, where he scored a resilient 90 and stitched a match-turning 76-run stand with Kuldeep Yadav. He followed that up with an unbeaten 39 to steer India home from a tricky 120/5, earning the Player of the Match award.
Jurel has also been consistent for India A, scoring 94 and 53 in the first unofficial Test against England Lions, and piling up another half-century in the second in a lead-up to the main series.
