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India selected three wicketkeepers in their 16-member squad for the first two Tests against England, namely KL Rahul, KS Bharat, and Dhruv Jurel. This marks Jurel's debut Test call-up for India.
Having served as India's vice-captain in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup, Jurel made his first-class debut for Uttar Pradesh during the 2022 Ranji Trophy match against Vidarbha.
In his cricketing journey so far, Dhruv Jurel has played in 15 first-class games, amassing a total of 790 runs, including one century and five fifties, with his highest score being 249. Additionally, he has featured in 10 List-A matches and 23 T20s.
On that note, we take a look at 3 reasons why India selecting Dhruv Jurel for England Tests is the wrong move.
#3 KS Bharat deserves a long rope
KL Rahul is now India's first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in Tests and ODIs and KS Bharat is the second gloveman in the squad. As such, Dhruv Jurel might just warm the benches and he should only be given a go when Bharat has been given plenty of chances.
So far in his career, Bharat has been decent with the gloves, but he needs to chip in more with the bat - especially in home conditions. Rahul is a sure starter as a wicketkeeper but he will be tested against the Indian spinners on turning tracks. Hence, Bharat, and not Jurel, should be the second wicket-keeper.
#2 What about Ishan Kishan?
Ishan Kishan has suddenly fallen out of favor. Although Kishan hasn't been in action for India since their T20I series against Australia in November, he has been making headlines for unfavorable reasons recently. News has surfaced that the wicketkeeper-batter has been excluded from the Indian team for the ongoing series against Afghanistan, reportedly due to concerns related to discipline and trust.
He might return to action in the Ranji Trophy and the selectors needed to keep him in the loop if they identified him as a potential X-factor before the Australia home series. Hence, the selection of Dhruv Jurel does appear odd in these circumstances.
#1 Not enough first-class experience
Dhruv Jurel has a lot of potential, but he does not have enough first-class experience. He has played in 15 First-Class games, accumulating 790 runs, featuring one century and five fifties, with a highest score of 249.
During the IPL 2022 auction, the Rajasthan Royals snapped up Jurel at his base price of ₹20 lakhs. Making his IPL debut in 2023, he played 13 matches for the Royals, scoring 152 runs at an impressive strike rate of 172.72. The Royals have chosen to retain him for the upcoming IPL 2024 season.
At a time, when there is plenty of competition for each of the places in the Indian side, Jurel needed to have more experience in first-class cricket before making his appearance for the national side.
