Breaking News: Cheteshwar Pujara retires from international cricket

Cheteshwar Pujara represented India in 103 tests and five ODIs.

In a massive development, discarded Indian test batter Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket. Pujara announced his decision through social media on Sunday, 24th August.

Pujara’s last appearance for India came in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final against Australia at The Oval, London.

Pujara was a rock for India in the longest format of the game. The right-hander was one of the major reasons behind the success of the Indian team in tests. Once Rahul Dravid left, he conquered the number three spot, scoring truckloads of runs. 

Cheteshwar Pujara, along with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, carried the Indian batting lineup for the last decade. One of the highlights of his career was his two back-to-back smashing performances in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).

He was one of the main reasons why India won the BGT in 2018-19 and 2021-22. In the 11 tests that he played in Australia, he slammed 993 runs at an average of over 47. His tally also included three hundreds and five fifties. In both series, he stood like a wall and helped India win. 

I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket – Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara, while announcing his retirement, posted an emotional message, saying that wearing the Indian jersey was the best moment for him. He also thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Saurashtra cricket for their support. He said: 

“Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field – it’s impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude, I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket. Thank you for all the love and support!”. 

Here’s the post: 

Cheteshwar Pujara ended his career with 7195 runs to go with 19 test hundreds and 35 fifties. His best came during the BGT 2018-19, where he slammed 521 runs and helped India win the series in Australia for the first time in history. 

Pujara also holds the record of most balls faced in a test innings for India and was also the second fastest to 1000 runs for his team in the longest format of the game. He signs off with more than 21000 runs in First-Class (FC) cricket. He also has seven 50+ scores for India in SENA wins, which is most by any player.

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