India captain calls Rishabh Pant 'Pagal', declares Dhruv Jurel real 'Team man' after Manchester Test

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The Indian team's performance in Manchester is worthy of praise, and so they have received it. But despite some big hundreds by the skipper and the two lower-order all-rounders, much of the hype and praise has been around Rishabh Pant.
Rishabh Pant being praised over all others is seemingly the best decision, as he showed his devotion and his determination for the game as well as the country and brought back the spirit of the Indian team, which seemed to have faded to some extent after Virat Kohli's departure.
Now, the Indian T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has praised Pant and substitute wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel for their commendable mindset in Manchester through two stories posted on his Instagram profile.
SKY praises Jurel-Pant with Instagram Story
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav has often been seen cheering for Indian cricketers on their good knocks through his Instagram posts or stories.
After India's historic draw at Manchester, he has resorted to a similar stance and praised the likes of Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, and more for their strong display of character.
The first of the stories sheds light on one of India's most unnoticed men in the Manchester Test, Dhruv Jurel. Jurel was not actually part of the Indian playing 11 and did not feature in the scoreboard, but produced an exceptional show as a replacement for Rishabh Pant as the wicket-keeper.
"Not easy, but you showed everyone how a 'TEAMMAN' should react when not playing," wrote SKY on his Instagram story featuring Dhruv Jurel. He also lauded him with a hashtag that read, '#neveroffDUTY.'
Suryakumar Yadav's Instagram story for Dhruv Jurel 🫡 pic.twitter.com/fqG5R8XOBu
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 28, 2025
Rishabh Pant earns Gautam Gambhir's praise after Manchester marvel
Rishabh Pant's return to the field with a fractured foot had earned him a special place in the heart of Indian Cricket Fans, but what has been exceptional is that it forced the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir to praise him individually in the post-match dressing room session.
Gambhir has always cited team appreciations over any individual records; however, he considered Pant's monumental character at Manchester, which he said would inspire many generations to come.
Suryakumar, in a playful tone, remarked that he knew Pant was mad, but today he got to know to what extent that madness was. This remark might be light-toned, but it reflects on the stature Pant has attained among his fans as well as teammates.
"And @rishabpant. Mujhe pata tha tum pagal ho lekin pooore pagal ho Wo pata lag Gaya. #jhookegaNAHI," India skipper stated.
Suryakumar Yadav's Instagram story for Rishabh Pant 🔥#RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/Ts73ds0Had
— Amlesh (@amlesh_17) July 28, 2025
Narayan Jagadeesan or Dhruv Jurel—who will play at The Oval?
Indian wicket-keeper batsman Dhruv Jurel has been India's glovesman for two Tests straight in the India vs England series despite not being part of the actual XI. This is because Rishabh Pant has been prone to frequent injuries in all instances.
However, now that Pant has been ruled out of the remainder of the series, the Indian selectors have named Narayan Jagadeesan as the replacement for the last Test. With Dhruv Jurel already in the side and having kept wickets for so long, he should be given a fair chance to feature in the playing 11 for the decisive Test at The Oval.
However, with Jagadeesan called in, it will be interesting to watch what is on the mind of the Indian selectors as well as the head coach and the Indian management, as they pick the playing XI for the upcoming Test.
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India National Cricket Team England National Cricket Team India vs England England vs India Dhruv Jurel Suryakumar Yadav Rishabh Pant Gautam Gambhir