'I am motivated knowing that he is standing behind me' - Dhruv Jurel credits MS Dhoni following explosive cameo against CSK

Rajasthan Royals climbed to the top of the IPL 2023 points table after thumping Chennai Super Kings in Jaipur. While Yashasvi Jaiswal grabbed the headlines with his swashbuckling half-century, Dhruv Jurel also made a significant contribution with the bat to take his side to a daunting total. Following his innings, Jurel revealed MS Dhoni's presence on the field as a motivation for him.

Sanju Samson's side, who came into the match on the back of two successive defeats, completed the double over MS Dhoni's Yellow Army this season. Rajasthan's young batting sensation, Dhruv Jurel, who has caught the eye this season with a few quickfire cameos, played another explosive innings against the four-time champions.

The 22-year-old batter revealed that he gets motivated by CSK's iconic skipper MS Dhoni, whenever he is behind the wicket. Much like the majority of spectators present at the venue, Jurel is a big fan of the former Indian skipper and was delighted to share the field with the World Cup-winning captain.

“I am fortunate enough to share the same field with Dhoni sir. I have been seeing him playing since I was a child. I don’t feel any pressure. On the other hand, it serves like a motivation. I am motivated knowing that he is standing behind me and watching me. That is enough for me,” Jurel said in a post-match press conference.

I have practised enough that I have to hit six for every ball: Jurel

The 22-year-old batter from Uttar Pradesh smashed 34 runs off just 15 deliveries in a breathtaking partnership with Devdutt Padikkal. He revealed practising the big shots in the nets, giving him the confidence to hit every ball for a six in the death overs. 

“This [finisher] is the spot that was given by the management, so I practice like that. I doesn’t feel like I have less amount of balls and I have to score big runs. I have practised enough that I have to hit six for every ball. I do three-four hours of batting every day, making sure I am getting something from my batting. My mantra is bat; the rest will take care of itself,” he added.