Dhruv Jurel has made a strong case for selection in India’s playing XI for the upcoming Test series against South Africa after a fine run of form in the unofficial Tests. The young wicketkeeper-batsman scored centuries against Marques Ackermann’s South Africa A at the Center of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru.
Jurel’s recent performances have given the Indian team management a pleasant selection dilemma ahead of the series. While Rishabh Pant — returning from a leg injury sustained during the England Tests — was included in the team, Jurel’s consistency with the bat makes him a serious contender for a place in the XI.
Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has said that Dhruv Jurel is making it increasingly difficult for the national selectors to leave him out of the upcoming Test series against South Africa.
JUREL IN PRIME FORM
Jurel, 24, impressed earlier in the year during the Test series against the West Indies, scoring 125, 44 and 6 not out, rewarding the selectors’ faith. He has since carried this form into the ongoing unofficial series.
In the first innings against South Africa A, Jurel smashed an unbeaten 132 off 175 balls, hitting 12 fours and four sixes to guide India A to 255 in 77.1 overs. He followed it up with another century in the second innings to reach the milestone off 159 balls. He added to his thickness with a Tiaan van Vuuren boundary in the 86th over and hit three more fours in the same over, taking 19 runs.
Batting at No. 7, Jurel has shown not only the ability to score runs, but to do so consistently under pressure. With India’s first Test against South Africa starting on November 14 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the key question now is whether the selectors will opt for two wicketkeepers to accommodate Jurel’s superb form.
So far, Jurel has amassed 430 runs in seven Tests, including one century and a fifty, underscoring his growing status as one of India’s most promising young red-ball players.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
November 8, 2025
