Rajasthan Royals made headlines ahead of the IPL 2025 season by retaining young wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel for a whopping INR 14 Crore. With a heavy price tag comes great expectation—and Jurel’s season, unfortunately, didn’t quite deliver on the hype. Scoring 333 runs in 14 matches, with a highest score of 70, his form fluctuated, contributing to RR’s inability to qualify for the playoffs.
With his mixed performances and the steep retention fee, RR’s management might be tempted to release him before the next season and attempt to buy him back at a lower price during the mini auction. If they do go down that road, several franchises could be very interested in picking up a talent like Jurel—someone who brings both batting firepower and solid wicketkeeping skills to the table.
Let’s explore three IPL teams that could be ideal landing spots for Dhruv Jurel in the 2026 season.
Lucknow Super Giants: Boosting the Indian Core
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have some serious overseas batting talent, but when it comes to Indian batsmen in the middle order, they are slightly short. Outside of Rishabh Pant and Ayush Badoni, their Indian options are limited. This is where Dhruv Jurel fits perfectly.
He’s versatile and can slot in at number five, behind the likes of Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, and Pant, while Badoni can play the finisher’s role. Such a setup would give LSG one of the most balanced and dangerous batting lineups in the league. Jurel’s adaptability and ability to play under pressure would only add to their depth.
Chennai Super Kings: A Long-Term Option Post-Dhoni
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had a forgettable 2025 season, one of their worst in IPL history. A major weakness was their underperforming middle order, where players like Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, and Vijay Shankar struggled to make an impact.
Bringing in Dhruv Jurel could address several issues at once. He offers explosive middle-order batting—often striking at over 150—and can also take up the wicketkeeping role, which could be crucial if MS Dhoni decides to retire. His fearless style of play and ability to accelerate quickly make him a valuable T20 asset, and a natural fit into the CSK system that thrives on intelligent cricketers.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Middle-Order Firepower Needed
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have done a fantastic job assembling a solid top and middle order, but their lower middle order lacks consistent firepower. While Aniket Verma has shown promise, he can’t be expected to deliver in every game, and Ishan Kishan’s form has been too patchy to rely on.
Jurel can step in as a middle-order stabilizer and finisher, complementing the explosive top order and players like Heinrich Klaasen. His ability to switch gears and finish games with aggressive strokes is exactly what SRH need to strengthen their title challenge in 2026.
