Riyan Parag Explains Why Dhruv Jurel Will Bat at No.3 for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026

Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Riyan Parag opened up on why Dhurv Jurel was promoted up the order to No.3 during their win over Chennai Super Kings in their Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) opener tonight (March 30). Jurel, who primarily played in the role of a finisher, will now have a new role, according to Riyan.

The Royals also have Shimron Hetmyer in the ranks, who did a splendid job in the No.3 position for West Indies during the recent T20 World Cup 2026, filling the void left by Nicholas Pooran’s retirement. In seven games at the ICC event, he smashed 248 runs at an impressive average of 41.33 and a fiery strike rate of 186.47, including two fifties.

Nevertheless, the RR management decided to back Dhruv Jurel for the top-order slot and Riyan Parag explained why. Speaking at the RR vs CSK post-match presentation ceremony, the new Rajasthan captain confirmed Jurel’s role and said,

“This is the batting order, Dhruv at 3, Hettie at 5, we need left-right combo. Hope to win a few more with the line-up.”

With both RR openers being left-handers in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal, they wanted a right hander to follow which makes Dhruv Jurel an ideal choice. With Riyan at No.4, saving Shimron Hetmyer for later allows the RR management to continue with the LHB-RHB combination. Ravindra Jadeja is the other left-handed batter in the RR Playing XI at 6.

For the unversed, Dhruv Jurel was also previously promoted up the batting order to No.4 in the Indian team during the South Africa Tests last year, given his ability to anchor and play according to conditions.

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Dhruv Jurel delivers a quick cameo at No.3

While it was a relatively low target of 128 for RR and the opening pair of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal gave the side an explosive start with a 75-run opening stand, Dhruv Jurel continued the momentum and showcased his ability to play capitalise on conditions. The wicketkeeper-batter registered a quickfire cameo of 9-ball 18, hitting four boundaries at a strike rate of 200 to ensure there was no way CSK can make a comeback and paved the way for an easy eight-wicket win.

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