The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) announced the team for the first two Tests against England on Friday. The series with England has five matches and starts later this month.
Unfortunately, fast bowler Mohammed Shami won’t be playing due to an injury, and Ishan Kishan, who took a break during India’s Tour of South Africa, is not on the team either.
However, the notable addition is Dhruv Jurel from Uttar Pradesh. He’s 22 years old and was part of the India A squad that played two matches against South Africa in December.
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Jurel made 69 in the second match at Benoni and recently scored 63 for UP against Kerala in a Ranji Trophy game. He’s been chosen as the third wicketkeeper in the squad.
Jurel made his First-Class debut last year and has scored 790 runs in 15 matches with an average of 46, including a hundred-and-five fifties.
Dhruv Jurel’s story is inspiring. Despite coming from a humble background, he climbed the ranks and made a name in the domestic circuit. He shared, “I used to study in Army School.
During the holidays, I thought about joining a cricket camp at Eklavya Stadium in Agra. I filled up the form without telling my dad. When he found out, he scolded me but still borrowed Rs 800 to buy me a cricket bat.
When I said I needed a cricket kit, he asked how much it would cost. I told him about Rs six to seven thousand, and he told me to stop playing. But I was determined and locked myself in the bathroom. Then my mom sold her gold chain to get me a cricket kit.“
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“I was so happy to tell my friends that I got selected for the Indian team. They asked me, ‘which Indian team?’ I said the one with Rohit Bhaiya and Virat Bhaiya. My whole family got emotional after hearing this.“
