MUMBAI: At a time when India’s batters are struggling both at home and overseas, two wicketkeeper-batsmen have stood out while representing the country in different formats in different parts of the world.
Sanju Samson smoked a blazing 50-ball 107 to star in India’s 61-run win in the opening T20I against South Africa. Dhruv Jurel slammed twin half-centuries – 80 and 68 – to mark the only bright spot in India’s six-wicket defeat to Australia A in Melbourne.
Apart from both being ‘keeper-batters, there is another thing in common between Samson and Jurel – both play for Rajasthan Royals. Samson is the captain while Jurel has been retained for Rs 14 crore.
Both Samson and Jurel train extensively before the IPL, and whenever they get an opportunity, at the Royals’ training centre in Talegaon under RR’s high-performance director Zubin Bharucha.
“Jurel went straight from the Test series at home, where he didn’t get a game, to Australia. In our preparation we try and cover high variability,” Bharucha told TOI.
There was a reason the generous green cover on the MCG pitch didn’t give Jurel the jitters, even as the other India A batters came a cropper on it. “Jurel told me that there was 8mm grass on the track at the MCG, but we have been using pitches with 12mm grass in our practice immediately post IPL when Riyan (Parag), Dhruv and Sanju were practicing for the Duleep Trophy (in Oct) at the High Performance Centre in Talegaon,” Bharucha, said, before explaining RR’s training pattern further.
“Then as we get closer to IPL we push them onto flatter pitches with 4 to 6mm grass, and create a variety of wicket types to prepare for all opposition.”
Sanju’s nets in Dubai
The Royals also had a hand in preparing Samson for the bouncy pitches in South Africa. “We had a two-day session with Sanju in Dubai because the ICC Academy’s pitches are a little more bouncy, just before he went to South Africa,” Bharucha revealed, crediting the Royals for having taken the effort to send Samson, himself and a few bowlers to Dubai to enable Samson to tune-up for the SA tour.
“RR’s investment in these players -they are investing vast sums of money in their development -is phenomenal They flew the bowlers and me from India to Dubai for Samson’s practice sessions. It says a lot about the franchise’s commitment to the cause of the player,” praised Bharucha.
Explaining RR’s philosophy behind investing in a player’s preparation for a tour even beyond the IPL, Bharucha said, “There is an inevitable phase that exists for every player between success and failure. What they do in that phase defines the individual and their career. Our goal as coaches is to transform that space from the fear of failure into a freedom of opportunity for all our players by providing an environment based around the philosophy of high variability and meticulous preparation.”
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