Team India's rising star, Dhruv Jurel, proved instrumental in India's triumph in the 4th Test against England held in Ranchi. The wicketkeeper-batsman left a lasting impression by contributing scores of 90 and 39 in both innings, showcasing his talent and determination on the field.
Jurel's resilient innings of 90 runs in India's first innings proved pivotal in rescuing the hosts from a tricky situation, limiting the deficit to England to just 46 runs.
In the second innings, amidst the run-chase, Jurel played a crucial role in stabilizing India's innings as wickets tumbled at one end. Partnering with Shubman Gill, the 23-year-old provided valuable support, guiding India towards victory in the 4th Test and the series as well.
In response to Jurel's exceptional performance, Gavaskar commented that the young talent exhibits shades of another Dhoni in the making, attributing it to his remarkable presence of mind on the field.
Gavaskar's praise for Jurel seemed to be misinterpreted by many. In an exclusive discussion with Sports Tak, Gavaskar has now clarified his statement, saying that there can never be another Dhoni like the original.
"The way he thinks about the game, the way he assesses the situation and bats accordingly, gives me the MS Dhoni feels. He would hit a six in between and then look for ones and twos to rotate the strike... Even in keeping, the way he gathered that wayward throw and ran out Ben Duckett and then took a brilliant catch of Jimmy Anderson who went for the reverse sweep."
"When MS Dhoni was of his age, he too had the same situation awareness. And that is why I said, Jurel is like MS Dhoni. No one can become MS Dhoni. There is only one MS Dhoni. But if Jurel can manage to do even some portion of the things Dhoni did then it would be great for Indian cricket," Gavaskar said on Sports Tak.
Gavaskar also expressed his belief that if Dhruv Jurel performs impressively in IPL 2024, he could emerge as a strong contender for the T20 World Cup 2024 squad.