Dhruv Jurel fondly recalls his first encounter with Rohit Sharma during a training session on the eve of his debut Test series against England earlier this year. As he prepared to make his mark on the international stage, Jurel found himself both excited and nervous about joining the national team. Despite his enthusiasm, he admitted feeling too shy to approach the Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, initially.

Jurel recounts that despite several moments of eye contact with Rohit, he couldn’t bring himself to start a conversation. It was Rohit who eventually broke the ice.

Dhruv Jurel recalled, “In a casual manner, Rohit called him over with a simple, “idhar aa!” (come here!).” He then offered some encouraging words that left a lasting impression on Jurel. He added, “Rohit told me, “What’s wrong, all good? You deserve your place in this team. Don’t get overwhelmed. If you want to hit the first ball for a six, do that. Just be 100 per cent sure on your shot.’” This reassuring conversation came before Jurel even had the chance to make his debut, and it meant a lot to the young player.

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The 23-year-old made an impact when he was brought into the playing XI, replacing the underperforming KS Bharat for the last three matches of the series. Jurel impressed with both his batting and wicketkeeping skills, amassing 190 runs at an average of 63.33 over four innings. He also noted a marked difference in the atmosphere of the Indian dressing room compared to his experiences at the state level with Uttar Pradesh.

In one memorable incident, Dhruv Jurel faced a challenging delivery from India’s throwdown specialist Raghu in the nets. After hitting a good drive, Raghu responded with a sharp bouncer that struck Jurel on the shoulder. To his surprise, Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer came over to shake his hand, welcoming him to Indian cricket with a warm gesture that highlighted the camaraderie within the team.

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Dhruv Jurel has been named in India’s squad for the upcoming first Test against Bangladesh, starting on September 19. However, he is expected to be on the bench with Rishabh Pant returning to the Test setup after nearly two years away from the format.