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India National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has opened up about one of the most emotional moments of his early career. The India wicketkeeper batter recalled the day the Rajasthan Royals franchise picked him in the 2022 IPL auction for his base price of ₹20 lakh.
After initially finding no bidder, the youngster broke down in tears when Rajasthan Royals finally raised their paddle for him. That moment became even more special because Jurel had often heard relatives asking when he would get to play in the IPL, and RR gave him the chance to finally answer them. Amid this, Sitanshu Kotak gives update on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s India future.
Dhruv Jurel recalls the moment Rajasthan Royals changed his life
When Jurel’s name came up for the first time at the 2022 IPL auction, no team showed interest. He started receiving calls from home and had many thoughts running through his mind. But when his name came up again, Rajasthan Royals bought him for ₹20 lakh.
Dhruv Jurel told Aakash Chopra on his YouTube show ‘Baith and Bol’: “Nobody bid for me when my name came up for the first time. I started getting calls from home, and a lot was going on in my mind."
I was crying; I was in tears: Dhruv Jurel on getting picked by RR
Jurel became emotional after seeing the Rajasthan Royals raise their paddle for him at the auction. The right-handed batter had grown tired of relatives asking when he would play in the IPL, and the 2022 auction finally gave him the moment he had been waiting for.
He said, "RR raised their paddle when my name came up for the second time. I was crying; I was in tears. Even my relatives would not ask when I would play for India. They only asked when I would play in the IPL. I thought, Now I will tell all my relatives that I will play in the IPL.”
Dhruv Jurel reveals why sitting out his maiden IPL season was a blessing in disguise
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter also recalled how amazed he was when he first entered the Rajasthan Royals dressing room. Sharing the team environment with Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Yuzvendra Chahal gave the young batter a huge learning experience.
Interestingly, Jurel believes not playing in his first season actually helped him. He felt he was still not ready at that stage and used the time to learn from the experienced players around him. Amid this, Dhruv Jurel jealous of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? India star drops honest statement.
"I was just mesmerized": Dhruv Jurel on seeing Jos Buttler
Jurel shared, “I was just mesmerized seeing Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, R. Ashwin, and Yuzvendra Chahal. I got a lot of exposure. I still feel that I was lucky that I didn’t play any game that year because I know I was not ready.”
Notably, Jurel has now moved up to the No. 3 position in Rajasthan Royals’ batting order after Sanju Samson was traded to Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The youngster made the most of the opportunity, finishing the last season with 515 runs at a strike rate of 154.65.
