Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], August 24 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel extended wishes to Cheteshwar Pujara, who bid adieu to all forms of Indian cricket, marking an end to a 15-year-long journey.
On a regular Sunday morning, Pujara left the world of cricket in shock by silently announcing his exit. He joined India's batting bigwigs Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, to call it a day in Test cricket this year, a format that was the home of Pujara's true prowess.
After India moved on from the 37-year-old in the aftermath of the heartbreaking defeat against Australia in the World Test Championship 2023 final (WTC), Pujara continued to be a common figure for Saurashtra in the domestic circuit.
He continued to pile up runs on the board while nurturing the next generation. While lavishing praise on "Gujarat's pride", Patel wished success for Pujara in his future endeavours.
"A remarkable cricketing journey of Gujarat's pride, Cheteshwar Pujara. Your calm presence, impeccable technique, and unwavering resilience -- especially in India's historic overseas triumphs -- have given the nation countless moments to cherish. From Rajkot to the world stage, you have truly embodied Gujarat's cricketing spirit. Wishing you continued success and the very best for the future," Patel wrote on X.
https://x.com/Bhupendrapbjp/status/1959623659934638581
Pujara made his debut in October 2010 and continued to put in the hard yards in the Test format, during an era where T20 cricket and franchise leagues gained prominence. His true strength resided in the impeccable defence and temperament.
Armed with the traditional batting style, Pujara featured in 103 Tests, garnered 7,195 Test runs at 43.60, laced with 19 hundreds and 35 half-centuries.
He was a part of several stories of success; the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy remains at the pinnacle of his best heroics. In his 1258-ball marathon, Pujara conjured 521 runs at 74.42 and topped the scoring charts in the series.
He played the rescue act by notching his maiden Test ton in Australia when India was dwindling at 19/3 in the series opener. Pujara continued to rely on his instincts, pulverised Australia's attacks and then feasted on them to propel India to its first Test series win in Australia.
Pujara explained what prompted him to take the exit door and said, "This plan was going on for a week. I have not been a part of the Indian team for the last few years, but now I thought that this is the right time because young players have got an opportunity in domestic cricket, which is why I made this decision."
"When you take such a big decision, you take this decision only after talking to your family and your biggest players, so I consulted everyone, and then I decided that it is important to move on," he added.