New Delhi: Dhruv Jurel has emerged as one of the brightest young talents for Indian cricket in the last year. The Uttar Pradesh wicket-keeper is celebrating his 24th birthday on January 21, 2025, Tuesday and in a very short time has proved his credentials in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and international cricket.

Jurel was unlucky to miss out on playing in the recent Test series in Australia after scoring twin fifties in the warm-up game ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. His worth and value were evident from Rajasthan Royals’ decision to retain him for Rs 14 crore ahead of the IPL mega-auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in November.

Jurel made his international debut in 2024 against England in a Test match in Ranchi and later made his T20I debut on the Zimbabwe tour. Jurel has played for India U-19 A, India U-19, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan Royals.

Love for cricket

Dhruv Jurel’s father Nem Chand, is a Kargil war veteran who wanted his son to carry forward the legacy. However, the youngster was too enamoured by cricket to follow in his father’s footsteps.

The Agra cricketer was signed by Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of IPL 2022 for a base price of Rs 20 lakh but warmed the bench the whole season. He made his IPL debut in 2023 and impressed everyone with his power-hitting scoring 152 runs from 11 innings, at an average of 21.71 and a strike rate of 172.72.

Jurel might have come into the limelight at the IPL stage with his explosive batting, but he made his mark on the international level by showing grit and determination. In his debut Test series against England last year, Jurel played two crucial innings – in Rajkot and Ranchi Tests – and rescued India from precarious situations and put them in the position of dominance.

His 90-run knock in Ranchi promoted Sunil Gavaskar to compare him with MS Dhoni.

Dhruv Jurel biography and personal info

Born in Agra, Uttar Pradesh on January 21, 2001, Jurel currently plays for the Rajasthan Royals and India. His hobbies include practising cricket, watching movies, and shopping.