Dhruv Jurel, a young batter for Rajasthan Royals (RR), has said he feels no pressure when playing alongside the iconic MS Dhoni. The presence of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain motivates him as he has been watching Dhoni play since childhood.
Jurel has been performing well as a finisher for RR in IPL 2023. His striking abilities were on display on April 27 when Rajasthan faced Chennai at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
The 22-year-old scored 34 off 15 balls with three fours and two sixes as RR defeated CSK by 32 runs. After the match, Jurel received praise from Dhoni for his performance.
Jurel shared his views on what it means to be sharing the same field with MS Dhoni in a post-match conference. He stated:
“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.”
“My mantra is bat; the rest will take care of itself”: Dhruv Jurel
Speaking about his position in the batting order, Jurel said that the team management has assigned him a specific role and is preparing accordingly. Confident in his abilities, he stated:
“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.”
Specifically speaking about his innings against CSK, he stated:
“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.”