The second round of the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy witnessed some exciting knocks from Royals batters, particularly from the young guns. While Dhruv Jurel impressed one and all with his maiden first-class double century, Yashasvi Jaiswal continued his purple match, striking another hundred. Meanwhile, Royals captain Sanju Samson’s twin fifties against Rajasthan helped Kerala finish with a draw.
Plying his trade for Uttar Pradesh, wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel made the most of his opportunity when he was asked to open the batting. The 21-year-old smashed a phenomenal double hundred in the first innings against Nagaland, helping his team declare after crossing the 500-run mark. His knock of 249 was laced with 26 fours and 2 sixes. Nagaland were bundled out for 136 in their first innings, and for 185 in the second, after being asked to follow on. Dhruv’s double ton coupled with two other centuries in the team and a commanding bowling performance from the bowlers ensured UP imposed an innings-defeat on their opponent.
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Son of a Kargil war veteran, Dhruv was the vice-captain of India Under-19 in the 2020 U19 World Cup. His debut season in the Cooch Behar Trophy saw him racking up over 700 runs. 2022 was a year to remember for the youngster, as he made his first-class debut for UP in the Ranji Trophy, and was also picked by Rajasthan Royals at the IPL mega auction. Although he didn’t get a chance to feature in the playing XI, he grabbed every opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the most experienced members of the squad like Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson - learning the tricks of the trade and continuously honing his skills further.
In six first-class games so far, Dhruv has already scored over 400 runs at a stunning average of 58.14. He has been equally impressive behind the stumps with his lightning quick glovework. Having scored his first-ever double hundred in this year’s Ranji Trophy, the youngster from Agra will look to carry his good touch throughout the tournament.
