"I consider myself very lucky"- Dhruv Jurel feels privileged to be part of test team

Dhruv Jurel said that team’s victories are more important than personal milestones.

India wicket-keeper Dhurv Jurel has said that he feels privileged to be part of the test team. He also added that being around the Indian team gives him a lot of confidence. The 24-year-old has cemented his place in the test squad and gets opportunities when Rishabh Pant is not available.

Jurel was also part of India’s last test series against England. When Pant was ruled out of the fifth test at The Oval due to a foot injury, Jurel was picked into the playing XI. So far, he has played five tests, scoring 255 runs in eight innings at an average of 36.43 with one half-century.

The right-handed batsman is currently playing for India A in the unofficial test series against Australia A. In the opening game, Jurel slammed a 140-run knock in the first innings, helping the team to reach a mammoth total of 531/7d. Earlier, Australia A posted 532/6d in the encounter, which eventually ended in a draw.

I consider myself very lucky and privileged that I got the chance to play Tests for India: Dhruv Jurel

During a conversation with ESPN Cricinfo, Jurel said that he feels privileged to get opportunities to play for India.

“Staying with or around the [India] team definitely gives you confidence. I consider myself very lucky and privileged that I got the chance to play Tests for India and to be with the team. Even if you are not playing, when seniors are around. You learn so many things from them. In a country of billions, how many people get this opportunity?,” he said.

The wicket-keeper batsman also said that he gives priority to the team’s victories rather than his personal milestones.

“Honestly, earlier it did matter to me whether my score was 100 or 150. But now I understand that the team’s victory is more important. In first-class cricket, I have seven-eight (he has four) scores in the 90s, which could have been centuries”, he said.

“One of them was in the Ranchi Test [against England in February 2024], where I became Player of the Match and the team won the match. Cricket is a team game, and we play cricket so that the team wins. Now I think more about the team’s win than about my scores,” he added.

Notably, Jurel got into the India A team in December 2023 during the tour of South Africa. Later, he made his test debut during the home series against England in February 2024. Playing his second test in Ranchi, he scored 90 runs and an unbeaten 39 runs to win Player of the Match award.

He is expected to be part of India’s squad for the home test series against West Indies in October. Whether he will get a chance to play in any games will depend on Pant’s fitness. India and West Indies are scheduled to play two tests from October 2 to 14.

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