'Mai Banke Bihari Ke Mandir Mein Tha' - Dhruv Jurel's father reminisces son's India debut moment

In a moving tribute to his father, a Kargil War veteran, Dhruv Jurel garnered the spotlight with an unyielding performance at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi. The young Indian batter's resilience earned him a standing ovation from the crowd and the Indian dressing room. Jurel's knock, steering India to 307 on Sunday, significantly narrowed England's lead to a mere 46 runs. Playing only his second Test, the batter from Uttar Pradesh displayed maturity beyond his years, blending crisp and solid defence with glimpses of T20 flamboyance, particularly while batting with the tail. 

Despite narrowly missing out on a well-deserved century, bowled by Tom Hartley on 90, which was the final wicket to fall for India in their first innings, Jurel's contribution proved priceless in reducing England's first-innings advantage to a mere 46 runs. Nem Singh Jurel, Dhruv's father, shared poignant insights into his emotions when his son earned the prestigious India cap, highlighting his devotion to the confines of a temple during the momentous occasion. He also emphasised on the fact that he wasn’t expecting his son to make his India debut at such an early age.

“Ji sapna hi ho gaya. Aisa lag nahi raha tha ki wo itna jaldi debut kar jayega. Mai Banke Bihari ke mandir mein tha jis time usko cap mili, aur maine yahi bol diya tha ki Dhruv beta ye cap ko mai Thakur ji ke charano mein arpit karunga. (Indeed, it was a dream, it didn’t seem like he’ll debut for India this early. I was in Lord Krishna’s temple when he received his Test cap, I straightaway said to Dhruv, that son, I would be keeping this cap at the feet of Lord Krishna),” Jurel’s father said in an interview to Aaj Tak.

The celebration after scoring fifty was for my father: Dhruv Jurel

With heartfelt emotion, the 23-year-old celebrated his inaugural Test fifty on Sunday, leading India's resurgence against England during the third day of the Ranchi encounter with a dignified salute. The Agra-born's jubilant gesture resonated widely, with the video of his milestone spreading rapidly across social media platforms. Sharing the inspiration behind his unique salute celebration, he revealed his father's words of encouragement the previous evening, urging him to seize the moment and exhibit the salute to the cricketing fraternity.

“The celebration after scoring fifty was for my father. He is a veteran of the Kargil War. Yesterday evening, I was speaking to my father over phone, and he told me indirectly 'beta, show your salute once at least', I have been doing that since childhood, so that celebration was for him,” Jurel said.