Former India fast bowler Mohit Sharma said that Rajasthan Royals (RR) wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel is a candidate for future captaincy. The statement comes after Jurel gave brilliant tactical advice to skipper Riyan Parag, which helped the franchise achieve a thrilling six-run win against Gujarat Titans (GT) during IPL 2026.
Rajasthan Royals successfully defended a mammoth target of 211 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on April 4. The visiting team restricted Gujarat Titans to 204 runs for eight wickets in 20 overs. Jurel played a vital role with the bat before making changes in the game from behind the stumps.
Dhruv Jurel is a potential player for Rajasthan Royals – Mohit Sharma
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Mohit Sharma praised Dhruv Jurel for his exceptional game awareness against Gujarat Titans. The former fast bowler said the 25-year-old wicketkeeper fits all the required criteria to become the vice-captain or future leader whenever Riyan Parag is unavailable.
“His game awareness is really good, it’s a really good thing, he also represents India, so there has to be game awareness,” Mohit Sharma said on Cricbuzz.
He said, “He is a possibility for RR in the future, because now you have a new captain, with time you have to find another person who can be the vice-captain, or even captain the team in the absence of Riyan Parag. He can also be a good option.”
Jurel has leadership experience in domestic cricket. The wicketkeeper has captained Uttar Pradesh and Gorakhpur Lions in the UP T20 League. He also led Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2025. Jurel led India’s Under-19 team to the Asia Cup title in 2019.
Credit to Dhruv Jurel for the change in bowling – Ryan Parag
Dhruv Jurel suggested using Jofra Archer for the nineteenth over. Gujarat Titans needed only 15 runs from 12 balls with three wickets remaining. Archer gave only four runs, Tushar Deshpande had to defend 11 runs in the last over.
Riyan Parag acknowledged Jurel’s tactical genius during the post-match presentation. The captain admitted that he was planning a different bowling rotation before the wicketkeeper intervened.
“I was actually going to change the order, so credit goes to Dhruv Jurel. He asked me to go with Jofra in the 19th,” Parag said.
Tushar Deshpande successfully defended 11 runs with his yorker in the last over. The fast bowler gave just four runs and dismissed the dangerous Rashid Khan on the last ball. Rashid Khan scored 24 runs in 16 balls before getting out.
Dhruv Jurel and Ravi Bishnoi shine in thrilling win
Earlier in the match, Dhruv Jurel had justified his promotion to number three. He scored the highest 75 runs for Rajasthan Royals with the help of five fours and five sixes in 42 balls, due to which the team was successful in scoring 210 runs for six wickets.
Chasing the target, Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudarshan scored 73 runs in 44 balls. Jos Buttler added 26 runs off 14 against his former team. However, influential player Ravi Bishnoi turned the tide of the match by taking four wickets for 41 runs.
Tushar Deshpande, Riyan Parag and Nandre Berger took one wicket each. Gujarat’s lower order, including Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan, could not handle the rising required rate as Rajasthan Royals sealed a crucial win.
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