Dhruv Jurel, the latest wicketkeeper to don the India cap at the ongoing third Test against England, found the selectors’ nod after incumbent KS Bharat failed to impress in the first two games, and Ishan Kishan unavailable for selection.

The 23-year-old from Kanpur, hails from a family of Kargil war veteran Neb Singh, who retired as a Havaldar, and initially wanted his son to take up a stable job as he was concerned about Dhruv’s future in the game. However, after getting feedback from many, Neb took Dhruv to coach Parvendra Yadav’s Springdale Academy in Agra, with a simple request, “Make him a good cricketer.”

“Dhruv is the first from his family to play cricket, so initially there was a bit of hesitation naturally from our side. But once we started getting feedback on him being a decent batter, we decided to get him enrolled at the academy,” Neb said.

“But even then I would always keep looking for a backup option, what if he doesn’t succeed in cricket? There was the fear inside, but things changed once he started performing at the age group levels and then he got into IPL, and India A.”

Jurel impressed on debut with the bat, scoring a 104-ball 46 and added 77 runs for the eighth wicket with Ravichandran Ashwin on the second day of the ongoing Test at Rajkot.

“The India call-up was a dream, and once he got the cap, it was a dream-come-true moment for us. My only advice to him is to stay as grounded as he can,” said an emotional Neb.

Neb had once hoped Dhruv would appear for the National Defence Academy (NDA) exam and carry forward the legacy, but his son was more fascinated by the sport.

The journey, however, wasn’t a smooth one for Dhruv during his early days, as his mother had to
pawn her jewellery to realise her son’s dreams of playing cricket.

“I had to borrow money to buy his first bat, and his mother would pawn her jewellery to get his first kit that cost somewhere around Rs 6,000. I tried to make him understand that the game is for rich people but he was adamant and wanted to play. So his mother sacrificed her jewellery to get his first kit. Now, when we look back, we realise our investment was for the right cause, and we are proud of his choice,” he said.

Neb said he was proud to be called Dhruv’s father, but wants his son to be himself and be the one whom the youngsters can look up to. The former soldier remembers all his son’s scores and made sure to catch all the action during his junior days, and expects him to serve his country for a long time.

“This is just the start, there will be ups and downs. But the most important thing is he has to stay grounded and stay grateful to the ones who have helped him get to that level. I want him to serve our country (in the cricket field) for a long time,” he said before signing off.