Rajasthan Royals (RR) are performing brilliantly in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. On Friday, April 11, they defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by six wickets at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati to make it four wins from four matches. Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel Scored 78 (26) and 81* (43) to help Royals chase down the target of 202 runs in just 18 overs.
Simon Doull was particularly impressed with Jurel's innings, as the former Kiwi fast bowler said the wicketkeeper-batsman showed great composure when the Royals lost three wickets in quick succession. So far in IPL 2026, Jurel has scored 176 runs in four matches at an average of 58.67 and a strike rate of 181.45.
Doull said trading Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings has helped the Royals promote Jurel to No. 3 in the batting order.
“Dhruv Jurel controlled the chase. Vaibhav set the tone and broke the chase. But when he lost wickets, the composure that Jurel showed was fantastic. That spot at No. 3 looks like a good fit for him. The Sanju Samson trade has allowed him to settle the opening combination and move Dhruv Jurel up,” Doull said on Cricbuzz.
“This is what you want from your No. 3. Get the job done and don't step out when something is necessary. It was beautifully controlled. His innings was not as breathtaking as Suryavanshi's, but just as controlled and important. The ability to find the gaps for two is one of his great strengths. Not many keepers play spin poorly. And that is one of Jurel's strengths. The No. 3 position really suits him.”
This is video game cricket: Doubt on Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Doull said that Suryavanshi does not slog but relies on his power to hit balls that come in his arc. The 15-year-old cricketer-turned-commentator's bat swing and wrist flicks were highlighted.
“It's video game cricket. But when he gets a good ball, he's really prepared to respect it. It's not just blatant slogging. They're cultured cricket shots. He didn't play any wrong shots. He has control, and it's not just going out there and trying to hit everything out of the park. There's an element of batting around it,” Doull said (via the above source).
“A flick of the wrist swings the bat. It's almost Lara-esque. If you're going to bowl wide, you have to have two players on the offside. The way to control that would be to have a wideish third and a deep cover and throw one leg outside the off-stump and just remove the leg side. But you can't have one on either side and bowl straight and hope for the best,” he said.
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