“Motivated knowing that he is standing behind and watching me” - Dhruv Jurel on sharing the field with MS Dhoni

Young Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Dhruv Jurel has stated that he doesn’t feel pressure sharing the field with the legendary MS Dhoni. On the contrary, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper’s presence motivates him since he has been watching the legend play since his childhood days.

Jurel has been impressive for RR as a finisher in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. His striking skills were on display on Thursday, April 27 when Rajasthan met Chennai at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

The 22-year-old struck three fours and two sixes in his 34 off 15 balls as RR beat CSK by 32 runs. Following the match, Jurel won praise from Dhoni over his cameo.

In a post-match press conference, the youngster shared his views on what it means to be sharing the field with the Indian legend. He commented:

“I am fortunate enough to share the same field with Dhoni sir. I have been seeing him playing since I was a child. I don’t feel any pressure. On the other hand, it serves like a motivation. I am motivated knowing that he is standing behind me and watching me. That is enough for me.”

The right-handed batter added 48 runs for the fifth wicket with Devdutt Padikkal (27* off 13) as RR put up 202/5 after winning the toss and batting first. In reply, CSK only managed 170/6.

---

“I know that I can hit everywhere” - Dhruv Jurel

Opening up on his batting position, Jurel stated that he has been given a certain responsibility by the team management and prepares accordingly. Expressing confidence in his ability, he said:

“This [finisher’s] is the spot that was given by the management, so I practice like that. I doesn’t feel like I have less amount of balls and I have to score big runs. I have practiced enough that I have to hit six for every ball.

"I do three-four hours of batting every day, making sure I am getting something from my batting. My mantra is bat; the rest will take care of itself.”

Speaking specifically about his innings on Thursday, the youngster said that he was playing according to the situation. He elaborated:

“I just try to keep the game simple. I know that I can hit everywhere. I got some time as I went to bat with 4-5 overs left. I know if I score at a run-a-ball for six-seven balls, I can cover that up.”

Rajasthan’s win over Chennai in Jaipur took them to the top of the IPL 2023 points table.