"I didn’t think much about it earlier…"- Cheteshwar Pujara reveals he thought about retirement just a week ago

Cheteshwar Pujara retired from all forms of cricket on August 24.

Veteran Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket on Sunday, (August 24) through a social media. The right-handed batsman has made a surprising revelation that he thought about retirement just a week ago.

Pujara, who was a test specialist for India played 103 matches in his test career which ranged over a decade. The 37-year-old amassed 7195 runs in 176 innings at an average of 43.60. He also hammered 19 centuries and 35 half-centuries in test cricket.

Pujara made his international debut in 2010 and represented the side for 13 years till 2023. His last test match was the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final against Australia in June 2023. After his snub from the test team, he continued to play for Saurashtra in domestic cricket.

See, I didn’t think much about it earlier: Cheteshwar Pujara

During a conversation with Aaj Tak, Pujara revealed that he thought about retirement just a week ago and made the decision. He also added that it was a proud moment for his family.

“See, I didn’t think much about it earlier. From about a week I thought a little that this is the right time. So today when I took this decision, it is quite a proud moment for me and for my whole family. On this day I want to thank all my teammates, my coaches and all the support staff I worked with, because this is a proud moment for me,” he said.

Pujara said he always had a dream to play for Indian team. He also revealed that he thought of playing one more Ranji season before his retirement.

“Representing the Indian team, from childhood, when I was small, it was always a dream to play for India. When that dream got completed and for so many years this journey went on, we created so many memories, so there are many proud moments in my career till now,” he said.

“This was my personal call and I decided that this is the right time, especially when young players should get opportunities in domestic cricket. Earlier I thought maybe I will play this Ranji season, but then I felt that if young players get the opportunity, they will be ready sooner. So this was my personal call”, he added.

Notably, Pujara handled the responsibility of No. 3 for India in test cricket for many years. He also played a crucial role during India’s journey to the finals of ICC WTC 2019-21 and ICC WTC 2021-23. Moreover, Pujara played a vital role during India’s historic victories in Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21.

Meanwhile, many former and active cricketers congratulated Pujara after his retirement. Former players like Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, and Harbhajan Singh congratulated Pujara on social media for his successful career.

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