With talks of Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson’s exit from the franchise ahead of the next Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season, speculations have arisen surrounding who would be a potential replacement. One name that is in the mix is young wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel.
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Reports have already confirmed Sanju’s intentions to part ways with the Royals, who now have an important job of naming the correct successor.
When quizzed about his ambitions to take up the captaincy duties, Jurel said while speaking in a video on the YouTube channel Breaking Sports with Vivek Sethia,
“What I would say is that whatever role I get from Rajasthan Royals doesn’t matter, because they gave me an opportunity when I especially needed it, when I had to show my talent on a big platform. I would say Rajasthan Royals changed my life. They gave me the chance to showcase my ability. So it doesn’t matter whether I get the captaincy or not. From my side, I want to give 2000% for Rajasthan Royals.”
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For the unversed, Jurel has been named as the captain of Central Zone for the upcoming Duleep Trophy and it marks a significant milestone in the career of the 24-year-old cricketer.
Following the development, the Royals posted a congratulatory message stating, “Ek hoga jo stumps ke peeche se game badal dega.”
While it appears to be a generic celebration post of a player’s achievement at first glance, the timing of it, however, raised eyebrows since it came less than 12 hours after reports first emerged that Sanju Samson had requested for a release ahead of the IPL 2026 auction later this year.
A good stint in the Duleep Trophy might just strengthen Jurel’s case for a possible leadership role at his IPL franchise.
The right-hander’s performances were one of the few positives in an otherwise lacklustre campaign for Rajasthan last season where they finished second-last in the points table, managing only four wins from 14 games.
Jurel looked consistent with the bat, scoring 333 runs in 13 innings at a healthy average of 37 while hitting at a strike rate of 156.33, including two fifties.
While the middle-order batter has given a testament to his batting abilities, it remains to be seen if the Rajasthan Royals management decides to entrust him with the captaincy role for the next IPL edition.
