End of an Era! Cheteshwar Pujara Retires from International Cricket

In what has been the latest development, veteran Indian Cricket Team batter Cheteshwar has announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket. On Sunday (24th August), the right-hander made the decision public through an emotional social media post.

Cheteshwar Pujara played a massive role in the success of the Indian Cricket Team in the tests. Along with one of the best batters in the world, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, he carried the Indian batting lineup and was the major reason behind the dominance of the team in the format.

Cheteshwar Pujara's last outing for India came in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final. After that, he was replaced by one of the best test batsmen, Shubman Gill, who took the number three spot. The veteran batter, however, kept grinding hard in the domestic circuit.

Cheteshwar Pujara's Test career was nothing more than exceptional as he played some iconic knocks for India.

Cheteshwar Pujara Test career

Cheteshwar Pujara international retirement means that India will miss a solid batter in Tests. He played a massive role in India winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) twice in consecutive years in Australia, standing like a wall while batting at three.

Cheteshwar Pujara's best during the BGT 2018-19 when he slammed 521 runs in the five games with the best of 193 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney. His heroics with the bat helped India win the test series in Australia for the very first time.

In the 2020-21 series, Cheteshwar Pujara played the role of a blocker. He kept batting for a longer period of time, coping with body blows. His grit at the crease allowed the youngsters to play freely as India registered a famous series victory down under.

His record in Australia was sensational as he hit 993 runs at an average of over 47. The batting great also hammered three hundreds and five fifties. Ever since he has been out of the Indian setup, the team has struggled to find a solid number three, which in itself reveals the kind of impact that he made.

Cheteshwar Pujara Retirement: A Glorious Test Career Filled with Records and Resilience

Cheteshwar Pujara made the number three spot his own after Rahul Dravid called time on his career. From one wall to another, Indian cricket was surely blessed to have someone who filled the void left by Dravid after his retirement

Cheteshwar Pujara retirement decision saw him share an emotional post as he announced his retirement from Indian Cricket. He highlighted the importance of wearing an Indian jersey and singing the national anthem. He also expressed his gratitude towards the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Saurashtra cricket team 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!”

Cheteshwar Pujara's retirement came as a shock as he expressed his desire to play for India once again. However, once he wasn't picked in the Duleep Trophy, it was almost certain that the selectors had moved on from him.

Cheteshwar Pujara ends his career with 7195 runs om 103 Tests at an average of 43.60, with 19 hundreds and 35 fifties. In home conditions, he hammered 3839 at an average of 52.58. Not only this, he also has the record of most balls faced in a Test innings for India.

Being the second fastest Indian to score 1000 runs in Tests, Cheteshwar Pujara's Test career also saw him score more than 21000 runs in first-class cricket.