Cheteshwar Pujara, the Indian leading run maker, has declared his retirement immediately in relation to the activities of cricket. Formally, on Sunday, August 24, he declared him going to play no more in his home team, Saurashtra, or at the national team.
In October 2010, the 37 years old cricketer had his Test debut at Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium against the Australians. He also scored a valuable 72 on debut test match, in second innings and played his part helping India to overtake the target with the least fuss possible, with a critical partnership with Sachin Tendulkar.
“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,” the veteran batter wrote on his official social media handle.
“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,” the Rajkot-born said.
“I would like to thank the BCCI, and Saurashtra Cricket Association for the opportunity and support through my cricket career. Am equally grateful to all the teams, franchises, and counties I have been able to represent over the years,” he added.
Cheteshwar Pujara’s career Test numbers
Pujara rapidly established himself as India’s No. 3 after Rahul Dravid retired a few years ago. The Test match specialist achieved his first double hundred against England at Motera in Ahmedabad, just over two years after making his debut. His highest score in international cricket to date is 206 not-out. That was not all, though, as he went on to score two more double hundreds, both of which were against Australia.
He finishes his career with 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60 in 103 Test matches for India. He played a key role in Virat Kohli’s team that held the No. 1 Test ranking for five consecutive years and scored 19 centuries. He endured several body blows during India’s famous Gabba win in 2021, and his most recent contribution—though overshadowed by Rishabh Pant’s performance—proved highly productive.
Pujara played his last Test for India in the 2023 World Test Championship Final, which Australia won. A dip in form in the months leading up to the match led the team management to bench him to make room for younger players. Despite his struggles, Pujara will be remembered for years as a match-winner for India.
