The Rajasthan Royals (RR) won by 47 runs against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Eliminator at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Wednesday, May 27. They will play the Gujarat Titans at the same venue in Qualifier 2 on Friday.
In the match, Rajasthan scored 243/8 after being invited to bat. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stood out with 97 runs off just 29 balls. Dhruv Jurel also contributed significantly, scoring 54 off 21 balls.
Former cricketer Irfan Pathan noted that Rajasthan managed only 48 runs in the last 6.1 overs after Jurel was dismissed. He highlighted the importance of Jurel’s innings in keeping the team from falling into trouble.
“After Vaibhav got out, it was crucial for Rajasthan to keep the momentum. Dhruv Jurel’s innings of 54 off 21 balls was very important. It was crucial because few runs came in the last five overs. If he had played slowly, RR would have faced serious issues,” Pathan explained in a video on his YouTube channel.
Pathan mentioned that skeptics of Jurel’s ability to score quickly got a wake-up call with this performance. Jurel’s knock had a striking rate of 238.1. Throughout the season, he has scored 508 runs in 15 innings, averaging 39.08 with a strike rate of 155.36.
“With that innings, Dhruv Jurel addressed a key concern. There was never a question about his batting skills, but people had doubts about his pace. He showed he can score rapidly as well,” he added.
“That is why he found success” – Irfan Pathan on Dhruv Jurel’s strategy vs SRH
Pathan emphasized that Jurel’s success came from playing the ball late on the back foot and effectively using the pull shot.
“He played well square of the wicket and utilized the pull shot effectively. In the past, he struggled when bowlers targeted the area outside off stump. This time, he was prepared to play late on the back foot, which contributed to his success,” Pathan concluded.