“It was a fanboy moment for me. I have always admired him a lot as a cricketer" - Dhruv Jurel on his interaction with MS Dhoni during IPL 2023 

Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Dhruv Jurel opened up about his interaction with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni during the recently concluded 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL).

Young players surrounding the veteran keeper-batter and asking him for advice has been a common sight once the contest culminates. Jurel, who batted in the lower-middle order for RR in IPL 2023, was tasked with a similar role compared to Dhoni with respect to finishing the innings.

“It was a fanboy moment for me. I have always admired him a lot as a cricketer. It was a good moment because last year when I met him, I only got to interact with him for a few minutes, and I couldn’t believe then that I was sitting in front of him. So, it was a fun moment for me to talk to him,” shedding light on his brief interaction with MS Dhoni, Jurel said in an interview with Inside Sport.

Further adding that he asked Dhoni about his mindset while trying to finish an innings or chasing a mammoth target, Jurel continued:

"I was curious to know about his mentality while batting. I asked him about his approach when the team requires 100 runs in the last 12-13 overs, and he seems to excel in those situations. He told me to keep things simple, not to fear making mistakes, and to focus on the goal."

"He emphasized the importance of simplicity and doing what is effective rather than going for fancy shots. It was a valuable conversation, and his advice stayed with me," Jurel added.

The former U-19 World Cup player had a solid season with RR, scoring 152 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 172.73.

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"I was very eagerly waiting for my chance to come" - Dhruv Jurel

The uncapped player made his first appearance in the IPL as an impact player in a high-pressure run chase against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). He almost led the team to a win with a quickfire and unbeaten 32-run knock off 15 deliveries.

“I was an Impact Player so I was all prepared and ready to contribute for the team whenever I was required. I was very eagerly waiting for my chance to come. This year, I worked very hard and I was just visualizing everything every day that I am playing in front of a massive crowd and that helped me a lot," Jurel explained.

RR, however, failed to make it to the playoffs after finishing fifth on the IPL 2023 points table.