“I am meant to keep the ship steady and take it forward”

While Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s explosive 97 grabbed the spotlight, Dhruv Jurel quietly delivered the innings that held Rajasthan Royals together. His unbeaten 21-ball fifty against SRH proved just as crucial in RR’s march to Qualifier 2.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

“A 20-ball 50 is always brilliant,” Ambati Rayudu said, praising Jurel’s impact. “It may look second fiddle to Sooryavanshi’s knock, but this was a match-winning innings too.”

At one end, Sooryavanshi attacked relentlessly. At the other, Jurel ensured RR never lost balance. With Yashasvi Jaiswal struggling for rhythm and the middle order offering little resistance, Jurel’s composure became the difference between a good total and a winning one.

The Royals batter said his role is clear — adapt to any position and understand the match situation better than anyone else.

“I want to be the sort of player who can bat at three, five or seven,” Jurel said. “When Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi are batting beautifully, my job is not to attack from both ends. I am meant to keep the ship steady and take it forward.”

That clarity has defined Jurel’s season. Often overshadowed by Sooryavanshi’s unreal strike rate, Jurel has quietly scored 508 runs at over 155, becoming RR’s backbone in pressure situations.

He also credited RR’s support staff for building a fearless environment.

“If someone tells you that you are going to play all 14 matches, you play differently,” Jurel said. “That backing gives confidence to every player.”

In a season dominated by fireworks, Jurel has become RR’s stabiliser — the batter who keeps the innings alive while chaos unfolds around him.