Cheteshwar Pujara, the Indian batter, has announced his retirement, a move that seems to have been triggered by his exclusion from both the Test team and the West Zone’s Duleep Trophy squad. The news was shared on social media on Sunday.
Pujara, known for his traditional Test approach and reliability at No. 3, ends his career as the 8th highest run-scorer for India in Test cricket. He scored 7195 runs in 103 matches.
Just three months ago, Pujara had expressed his desire to play for India. In May, he had said he wanted to be part of the team for the England tour. Even after being out of the national team for two years, he was consistent in first-class cricket.
He played 7 games for Saurashtra in the last Ranji Trophy season, scoring 402 runs at 40.2, including a double century against Chhattisgarh. He also played 6 first-class County matches for Sussex in 2024, scoring 501 runs.
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Sources say the decision to retire was hastened by recent events. Besides not being selected for the England tour, he was also left out of the Duleep Trophy squad. Not being selected and not playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) seemed to have played a role in his decision to retire.
A source said, If Pujara had been selected for the England Test series, he might have considered retiring after the 5th Test. One important thing is that he doesn’t play in the IPL. The source added, The Test and Duleep Trophy snubs made playing domestic cricket for Saurashtra less appealing.
Pujara’s retirement announcement came just two days after reports that the Saurashtra Cricket Association had confirmed his intention to play in the Ranji Trophy.
That adds another layer to the timing of his decision.Pujara is one of the 13 Indian cricketers to have played 100 Tests. He ends his career as India’s 8th highest Test run-scorer. The right-hander scored 7195 runs in 103 Tests, 19 centuries, 44.36 average. He also played 5 ODIs for India.
