Batting At No 7 Is A Thankless Job, Keep Practising Same Skill Set Repeatedly: Dhruv Jurel Recalls Dhoni's Advice

Rajasthan Royals batter Dhruv Jurel has recalled his idol M.S. Dhoni's advice saying that the Chennai Super Kings captain told him that batting at No.7 is a thankless job and you can't do much if even he gets out while scoring quick runs for the team but one has to keep practising the same skillsets again and again.

The 22-year-old Jurel produced some crucial match-winning performances with the bat for Rajasthan Royals in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. While batting mostly at No.6 or 7, he finished the season with 152 runs at a strike rate of 172.73 in 13 matches.

The young wicketkeeper-batter considers former India skipper Dhoni as his idol as he feels there are lots of similarities in their roles.

"M.S. Dhoni has been my role model since childhood because I learnt a lot from him. I talked to him during the IPL 2023 and we discussed the areas where I need to improve, and how I can become more consistent. I played lower down the order, he also bats at seven or eight, so learnt crucial things from him in that aspect," Jurel told IANS in an interview on the sidelines of Red Bull Campus Cricket India Finals in Dehradun.

Highlighting further about Dhohi's advice for him, Jurel mentioned that batting at No.7 is not easy and one needs to master the skill by practising it again and again.

"When you bat lower down the order, you don't have much time to gauge the condition of the pitch and understand what lengths bowlers are trying to bowl. Without getting set, you have to score quickly for your team and it's a bit difficult.

"So, Mahi Bhai (Dhoni) advised me to practice accordingly and keep things simple. He told me that batting at No 7 is a thankless job and you can't do much even if you get out; even if I fail, I have to practice the same skill set again and again," the right-handed batter said.

Dhruv, who plays for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket, also feels that no one can match Dhoni's speed while doing a stumping, adding that everyone has his own wicket-keeping techniques, so he didn't discuss much about that aspect of the game.

"Everyone has different wicket-keeping techniques. Eventually, it all boils down to the result you produce on the given day for your team. Nobody with any sort of technique can match M.S. Dhoni's fast hand in terms of stumping. So, I didn't have many conversations with MS about the wicket-keeping drills, will try to ask him next time," he said.

Asked about the learning from IPL 2023 season, the cricketer said he came to know various areas, which need improvement. He also spoke about the major differences in playing at different levels of cricket.

"I played 13 matches this IPL season and there were different learnings from each one of them. Now, I know about the areas where I do need to work on. There were many matches, which I could have finished but didn't, so I will try to learn from those mistakes and will try to avoid it in the next seasons," Jurel said.

"Experience was the massive difference. When you play at a higher level, you get that certain experience by facing quality bowlers, who deliver in consistently good areas. So, playing at different levels does play a massive role in polishing the skill," he added.

The attacking batter also lauded Royal management for backing players and giving them a sense of security.

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"The team management at Rajasthan keeps things calm and chill. There is no big pressure to perform and have a sense of security from their side. They just ask the youngsters to go out and perform and even if we fail they back us, which you require as a young player," concluded Jurel.