Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. The franchise bought him for a base price of ₹20 lakhs in 2022. In an interview with former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra, Jurel recalled crying when the Royals raised the paddle for him and mentioned that his relatives always asked when he would play in the showpiece event.

“Nobody bid for me when my name came up for the first time. I started getting calls from home, and a lot was going on in my mind. RR raised their paddle when my name came up for the second time. I was crying; I was in tears. Even my relatives would not ask when I would play for India. They only asked when I would play in the IPL. I thought, now I will tell all my relatives that I will play in the IPL,” Jurel told Chopra’s YouTube channel.

Jurel also revealed how his younger self was awestruck to share a dressing room with some of the Rajasthan Royals stars. “I was mesmerized seeing Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, R Ashwin, and Yuzvendra Chahal. I got a lot of exposure. I still feel that I was lucky that I didn’t play any game that year because I know I was not ready,” he said.

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Jurel has been promoted to number three in Rajasthan’s batting order, taking the spot of Sanju Samson, who was traded to Chennai Super Kings. Jurel had a good season, scoring 515 runs at a strike rate of 154.65.

Jurel also spoke about his teenage team sensation, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who won the Orange Cap of the season with 776 runs and said the 15-year-old deserves all the praise he gets.

“He deserves all the praise. What he does, you can’t even think about it, even in your dreams. A 15-year-old smashing everybody. There is a wow factor. I never get jealous of him. There is no comparison either, as I think, what will I compare? It’s beyond thinking.”