Rated highly for his impeccable skills and unmatched determination - Cheteshwar Pujara is the backbone of Indian batting line-up when it comes to cricket's purest format. Since his debut in red ball cricket in 2010 versus Australia, the Rajkot-born batsman as grown leaps and bounds as his career progressed. With his outstanding technique and ability to bat for long hours without losing concentration, Pujara has been a thorn in the flesh of oppositions. With an impressive career average of more than 50 in Test cricket, Pujara is presently rated among the best number three batsmen in the world while playing in whites. Mostly compared with Rahul Dravid for his sheer sense of determination and will power to bat for long hours without breaking any sweat, Pujara has carved a niche for himself in the cricketing world. Despite being picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders in the first edition of Indian Premier League (2008), Pujara never managed to leave a mark in white ball cricket and largely due to his reputation as an exclusive Test player. After a forgettable tour to England in 2014/15, the right-handed batsman spent some extended sessions in English County cirucit with teams - Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire. Major teams: India, Derbyshire, India A, India Green, India Under-19s, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, Nottinghamshire, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Saurashtra, Saurashtra Under-16s, Saurashtra Under-19s, Yorkshire Playing role: Top-order batsman Batting style: Right-hand bat Bowling style: Legbreak
Read MoreCheteshwar Pujara played a key role in India's two series wins in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21. He has revealed an exchange with former Australia opening batter David Warner during the 2014/15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
"The batters played too late, with most of them getting out because of their inexperience with the pink ball. They should have discussed in the team meeting when to score runs and when to play defensively," Cheteshwar Pujara said after Day 2's play in Adelaide.
Rohit Sharma missed the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth due to the birth of his second child. In his absence, Jasprit Bumrah led India to a convincing 295-run win at the Optus Stadium.
Former Australia captain Tim Paine talked about India's chances in the upcoming five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy the last one in Australia 2020-21 and his memories of the same. After losing the series opener in Adelaide, India had come back to win the series 2-1.
India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara is currently plying his trade in the ongoing edition of Ranji Trophy for Saurashtra. He has smashed a brilliant double-century in the clash against Chhattisgarh to create and break records.
Team India's squad for the first of the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh was announced on Sunday. The selectors opted not to pick a few players and it seems the doors are closed for some of them. Here are three players who might be unable to return to the Test team.
Ajinkya Rahane-led Mumbai concluded their Ranjit Trophy 2024 group stage campaign with a huge win over Assam on Saturday. The experienced pacer Shardul Thakur took ten wickets across two innings and Shivam Dube recorded an unbeaten hundred in the first innings.
After spending more than five months on the sidelines due to injury, the young Mumbai opener made a sensational return to competitive cricket by smashing a 159 off 185 against Chhattisgarh in the Ranji Trophy 2024 match on Friday, February 9.
Shubman Gill's form batting at number three has the point of discussion now after his twin failures in the first Test against England in Hyderabad. Meanwhile, former India head coach has come up with a massive statement related to Gill linking his fortune to Cheteshwar Pujara's in Test cricket.
With Virat Kohli pulling out of the first two Tests against England due to personal reasons, the Indian team will be without either of the trio of former captain, ex-vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane or Cheteshwar Pujara in a red-ball game for the country for the first time in 12 years.
Virat Kohli's withdrawal from the Test squad for the first two games against England has thrown a spanner in the works for the Indian team as the former captain was the best batter for the side in South Africa series. The BCCI is going to name a replacement soon as Kohli tends to his family.
With the upcoming five-match Test series against England in sight, Indian red-ball veterans Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteswhar Pujara, and in-form Shreyas Iyer are in focus in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024 round two fixtures starting on Friday.
Cheteshwar Pujara scored an unbeaten double-hundred for Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy clash against Jharkhand. Pujara has hit his 17th double ton in first-class cricket. His knock comes ahead of India's Test squad announcement for the England series.
Jaydev Unadkat-led Saurashtra kicked off their title defence by bowling out Jharkhand on just 142 runs in the Ranji Trophy 2024 opener in Rajkot and then Cheteshwar Pujara's 157* off 238 balls helped them score a total of 406/4 on Day 2.
The out-of-favour India batter has not been picked for India's two-match Test tour of South Africa 2023-24. He has been sitting on the sidelines since India's heartbreaking loss to Australia in the final of the World Test Championship 2023.
India will play two Tests after the six white-ball matches on South Africa tour starting from December 26. The Rohit Sharma-led side last played red-ball cricket in July this year on the West Indies tour when they had won the two-match series 1-0.
Ranji Trophy 2023 champions Saurashtra led by Jaydev Unadkat will be up against Rest of India led by Hanuma Vihari in the Irani Cup clash. Rest of India features some of the out-of-favour players including Mayank Agarwal and Vihari himself and a good game could be their ticket to South Africa.
Sussex have been hit with their fourth fixed penalty during the game against Leicestershire. Captain Cheteshwar Pujara has been suspended for a match and the team has been docked 12 points. Tom Haines, Jack Carson and Ari Karvelas will not be part of the next game.
India batter Cheteshwar Pujara believes playing for the team's cause matters much more than playing for one's own spot in the team.
"I hope to add to the laurels that my dear friend and team-mate, Cheteshwar, has been adding aplenty while representing Sussex," Jaydev said.
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