Young keeper-batter Dhruv Jurel reacted to his maiden India call-up for the first two Tests against England, starting January 25 in Hyderabad. The right-handed batter took to social media to express his happiness after the BCCI named a 16-man squad late on Friday night, including three keepers.

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While Dhruv might not get a chance in the playing XI right away, with KL Rahul and KS Bharat ahead of him in the pecking order, the youngster is still excited to get his India call-up. On his Instagram handle, Dhruv reposted a story mentioning his name in the Test squad, saying that brought ‘tears of joy and happiness’.

Since making his first-class debut for Uttar Pradesh against Vidarbha during the 2022 Ranji Trophy season, Jurel has scored 790 runs at a healthy average of 46.47, striking at 56.63, including one hundred and five fifties. His best of 249 came against Nagaland in December 2022. Against Kerela in his last Ranji Trophy match, Jurel scored a fifty.

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Last month in December, Jurel played for India-A against South Africa-A in the two-match unofficial series. After getting out on a duck in the first game, Jurel impressed everyone with his gritty 69 in the next. 

Even during the 2023 Indian Premier League, playing as a lower-order batter/finisher for Rajasthan Royals, Jurel scored 152 runs from 13 games, striking at over 170, with a best of unbeaten 34.

India ready for England Tests

After sharing honours in the two-match Test series against South Africa on an away tour, India will host England for five Tests. 

The squad selection for the first two games sees Rohit Sharma leading from the front, with Test regulars back in the side, excluding veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. 

Seamer Jasprit Bumrah is named the vice-captain, while the selectors picked four spinners – Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. 

Here’s India’s squad for the first two England Tests –

Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain) and Avesh Khan

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