Rajasthan Royals lost by 5 runs in a high-scoring rubber.
Rajasthan Royals required 69 runs off the last four overs while chasing a formidable target of 198. They had lost six wickets. Shimron Hetmyer had just faced only 8 balls, and the impact player Dhruv Jurel’s innings was just 2 balls old. They began an onslaught and took the game till the last over, where they required 16 runs to register their second win.
Sam Curran held his nerves and defended the total. Punjab Kings prevailed in a high-scoring encounter by 5 runs. While Rajasthan Royals lost the match, they found a star.
There were several fantastic shots hit in the final four overs of the second innings. However, Dhruv Jurel’s swashbuckling six over extra cover stands out. Jurel had just hit a four over mid-off. Arshdeep Singh bowled in the slot, and Dhruv stabled himself and thwacked it over cover for a huge six.
— A (@cricketvf) April 5, 2023
His emotions after the six were natural. He applauded himself by thumping his chest, and rightly so. That is such an arduous shot to hit, and hitting it against one of the premium death overs bowlers, Arshdeep is even tougher.
Ian Bishop labelled the shot as ‘terrific’ on air. It was indeed a terrific shot. Arshdeep did miss his mark, but to hit it with such perfection at that stage, by a player who had played only three T20 matches before, requires something extraordinary. Dhruv Jurel is exactly that. Extraordinary.
He went on to hit two more boundaries later. But that just wasn’t enough for the day.
Dhruv is probably the best impact substitute player of the season so far. Rajasthan Royals used him accurately tonight. After this breathtaking knock, the team management will definitely look to involve him in the main XI in the upcoming games.
