'People often questioned his ability to bat at a high strike rate' - Irfan Pathan slams Dhruv Jurel's critics after IPL 2026 Eliminator

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) registered a comprehensive 47-run win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Eliminator at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Wednesday, May 27. They will now face the Gujarat Titans at the same venue in Qualifier 2 on Friday.

Talking about the match, Rajasthan posted 243/8 after being asked to bat first. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was the star performer, amassing 97 runs in just 29 balls. However, Dhruv Jurel also played a crucial innings of 54 off 21 deliveries.

Irfan Pathan pointed out that after Jurel got out, Rajasthan only made 48 runs from the last 6.1 overs. The former India all-rounder explained the significance of the wicketkeeper-batter's innings, adding that it prevented Riyan Parag's men from landing in serious trouble.

“After Vaibhav got out, it was very important for Rajasthan to maintain the momentum. In that situation, Dhruv Jurel’s brilliant knock of 50 off 21 balls was outstanding, extremely important, and crucial. Eventually, it proved to be so crucial because hardly any runs came in the last five overs. So if he had played slowly, RR would have landed in serious trouble," Pathan said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Pathan said that the people who doubted Jurel's ability to bat at a high strike rate got a reality check on Wednesday. The 25-year-old finished his knock with an impressive strike rate of 238.1. This season, Jurel has scored 508 runs in 15 innings at an average of 39.08 and a strike rate of 155.36.

“And with that innings, Dhruv Jurel answered one major question. Before this, there was never any doubt about his batting ability. But people often questioned his ability to bat at a high strike rate, saying that he consumes too many deliveries and plays a bit slowly. Dhruv Jurel answered that question as well," he added.

“That is why he found success” - Irfan Pathan on Dhruv Jurel’s game plan vs SRH

Pathan opined that the major reasons behind Jurel's success were his ability to play the ball late on the back foot and the excellent usage of the pull shot.

“He played very well square of the wicket and used the pull shot brilliantly. Earlier, when bowlers targeted that channel outside off stump, he often looked uncomfortable. But this time, he didn’t. The reason was that he was more prepared to play late on the back foot, and that is why he found success," Pathan concluded.