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The India National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel is facing pressure to improve his batting after a series of poor performances in Test cricket.
Dhruv Jurel has been backed by the Indian team management and selectors for a long time, but his recent performances have started creating doubts about his place in the Test XI. Earlier, Murali Kartik explained why Dhruv Jurel should play ahead of Sarfaraz Khan in 1st Test vs Sri Lanka.
Dhruv Jurel under pressure after poor Test run
Jurel is expected to play in the first Test against Sri Lanka, but his place is not completely safe anymore. With Sarfaraz Khan also in the race, the young wicketkeeper-batter will have to perform to keep his spot in the Indian middle order in the format.
Jurel has been struggling since smashing a brilliant 125 against the West Indies in October, with his scores being 44, 6, 14, 13, 0, 2, and 19* in the recent Test outings. These scores have not been good enough to give the team management much confidence.
Indian team management wants Dhruv Jurel to improve his batting
According to a report in The Times of India, the Indian team management has already asked Dhruv Jurel to improve his batting; otherwise, he would lose his spot from the Test-playing XI. The 25-year-old has reportedly been reminded that the management wants much better performances from him with the bat if he wants to stay in the team as a specialist batter.
The management was reportedly not happy with his performances in Kolkata and Guwahati against South Africa last year. His low scores in those matches increased the pressure on the youngster. After that, Jurel was busy with more white-ball games, including the IPL 2026.
The right-handed batter then got another chance in a red-ball game during India's one-off Test against Afghanistan. But even there, he could score only 19 runs, missing another chance completely. Even during the warm-up match in Sri Lanka, Jurel managed only 1 and 17, putting his place in jeopardy.
Sarfaraz Khan’s arrival makes things tougher for Dhruv Jurel
Jurel's situation is more alarming for him because he is not currently India's main wicketkeeper in Test cricket. Rishabh Pant remains the first-choice wicketkeeper, which means Jurel is mainly fighting for a place as a batter.
India is looking for a right-handed batter in the middle order, and that’s why Jurel’s place has been safe so far, as they are also reluctant to bring Karun Nair back into the Test setup. Amid this, Mohammad Kaif picks Sarfaraz Khan over Jurel for Sri Lanka Tests, explains big reason.
However, the Rajasthan Royals wicketkeeper-batter is still waiting to cement his place in India’s Test XI. Now, Sarfaraz Khan's arrival has made the competition tougher. If Jurel continues to struggle with the bat, the team will have another option ready to take his place.
So, the upcoming two-match Test series that is also part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle in Sri Lanka is really important for Jurel. He must perform and regain the confidence of the team management when India will face Sri Lanka in the first Test starting on August 15 in Galle.
