Rajasthan Royals wicket-keeper batter Dhruv Jurel reflected on his team’s campaign in IPL 2026, which ended after a seven-wicket defeat to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, adding that the side played positive cricket throughout the season despite falling short of reaching the final. In New Chandigarh, RR posted 214/6, thanks to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s astonishing 96. But Shubman Gill’s majestic 104 helped GT chase the total and set up a title clash with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
“As a wicket-keeper, when I talk to bowlers, I never tell them what to bowl. I just say, brother, take your time. You are good enough. That is why you are here. I say this especially to debutants. I have been in that position. I know that when you make your debut, a lot of thoughts run through your mind. You keep thinking about what to do and what not to do.
“You cannot tell a debutant exactly how to bowl. It is not easy. If you do, they start doubting themselves and end up making mistakes. So I focus on giving them confidence. I tell them, back yourself. Whatever delivery you plan to bowl, stick to it and don’t overthink.
“I try to give them belief from behind the stumps that whatever you are thinking is good. Don’t worry about what could go wrong. Just back yourself. We have to play good cricket. We have played positive cricket and done that throughout this IPL season,” said Jurel to JioStar.
Jurel, who emerged as one of RR’s dependable performers by making 515 runs in 16 games as a top-order batter, spoke of his passion for batting and the lengths he goes to for extra practice to hone his primary skillset.
“I love to bat. I keep telling Vikram Rathour sir, our batting coach, to give me more time in the nets, but he always says no. So, I always find a way out to bat more in every training session. I reach early and start batting 20 minutes before the session officially begins. When others want their turn, I ask for 10 more minutes. When that’s up, I ask for five more.
“I just keep batting. When my turn ends, I take my pads off but leave them in the nets. If there’s a gap later, I jump back in. Vikram sir knows I won’t stop, so he always says, ‘Dhruv, please come out and let the others bat too.’ I do this every time because I love batting. Before a match, I don’t want to feel that I am not ready.”
