Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel earn BCCI central contracts after meeting criteria

India’s young prospects Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel have reportedly officially earned their maiden BCCI central contracts on Monday, March 19. The duo have been inducted into the Grade C of the BCCI central contract list after meeting the criteria of playing at least three Tests in the ongoing season. Sarfaraz and Jurel, who played starring roles for India in the second half of the recently-concluded five-match Test series against India, will earn INR 1 crore as the annual retainership fee. During the BCCI Apex Council meeting on Monday, their names were approved, it has been reported.

Following the announcement last month of the annual retainers for the 2023–24 season, which caused a stir in Indian cricket due to the removal of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the list, the BCCI disclosed that Sarfaraz and Jurel would receive a central contract provided they fulfilled the requirement of playing three Test matches during the current season.

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When the central contracts were released for the 2023-24 season, many were left wondering why Sarfaraz and Jurel’s names were not included in the list. However, they hadn’t played three Tests each when the BCCI announced the annual retainers.

Jurel was included in the squad for the first two Tests against England, but didn’t get a chance as the team opted for KL Rahul and KS Bharat. However, a right quadriceps injury to Rahul in Hyderabad in the 1st Test, and the middling form of Bharat as the wicketkeeper-batter opened the doors for a Jurel debut, which came in the third Test in Rajkot.

Sarfaraz, meanwhile, was brought in for the second Test after Rahul was ruled out with an injury. While the 26-year-old didn’t earn his India cap in Visakhapatnam, he, like Jurel, was included in the XI for the third Test.

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Sarfaraz’s hard yards in the Indian domestic circuit finally reaped rewards, and the Mumbai-born batter justified the hype surrounding him by scoring twin half-centuries on debut, displaying nerves of steel and proving to be a mighty counter-punch to England’s ‘Bazball’ philosophy.

Jurel scored 46 runs in what was a composed innings in Rajkot, but stole the limelight in the fourth Test in Ranchi. The 22-year-old stitched a 76-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Kuldeep Yadav to prevent England from being handed a huge first innings lead. Not just that, but he showcased the wherewithal to play at the biggest stage, scoring 90 runs. In the second innings, with India chasing 192, Jurel stayed unbeaten on 39 to take India past the finish line after the hosts were in a spot of bother at one point.

The fifth and final Test in Dharamsala was Sarfaraz and Jurel’s third Test of their careers, which saw them meet the criteria to earn a BCCI central contract.

Jurel will next be seen in action in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he is expected to be a key member of the Rajasthan Royals unit. Meanwhile, Sarfaraz will have to watch from the sidelines as he went unsold at the IPL 2024 auctions. He might, however, still end up playing IPL 2024 should a franchise rope him in as a replacement for an injured player.