'Always a Student of This Great Man': Dhruv Jurel Pays Tribute to Rahul Dravid with a Throwback Photo

Emerging India wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has demonstrated his respect for head coach Rahul Dravid via an emotional note on social media. The youngster has recently made his debut for Team India, featuring in the third and fourth Test against England. Jurel received his maiden Test cap from veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Kartik on February 15 at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. This is the second time in his career that Jurel has been playing under the guidance of Dravid.

The Agra-born batter was part of the India Under-19 unit that won the World Cup in 2020 and back then, Dravid was in charge of the young squad. Referring to the legendary batter’s immense contributions in his life, Dhruv Jurel wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Junior to Senior but always a student of this great man.”

Interestingly, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who also deserves much credit for India’s dominance in the ongoing England series, was seen standing behind Dravid and Jurel in the first picture. The 22-year-old opener played a crucial role in India’s triumphant finish at the 2020 U-19 World Cup. Jaiswal finished as the top scorer of the tournament, aggregating 400 runs in six appearances.

Jurel was part of the squad for the first two Tests but could not find a place in the playing XI, with KS Bharat donning the keeping gloves. Once given the opportunity in the Rajkot Test, Jurel well and truly showcased his quality and talent. He missed the half-century by just four runs but his knock had a huge impact on the outcome of the match.

In the subsequent Ranchi fixture, Dhruv Jurel appeared at his absolute best. He scored a composed 90 off 149 balls in the first innings when the Indian batting unit collapsed like a deck of cards.

Jurel continued his sublime form during the fourth-innings chase. He registered an unbeaten 39 this time while stitching a match-winning 72-run partnership with Shubman Gill. Jurel was adjudged the Player of the Match for his remarkable show across innings.