The first Test between India and Australia, which will take place in Nagpur on Thursday, will mark the beginning of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Cheteshwar Pujara will now be expected to fill the role of a seasoned middle-order batter because Rishabh Pant and Ajinkya Rahane are no longer part of the Indian team. The 35-year-old batter, who made his debut in 2010, has frequently contributed significantly for India. He is one of the best Test batsmen in the world and was instrumental in India defeating Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy match in 2020–21.
Virat Kohli – 2565 runs @ 41.37
Cheteshwar Pujara – 2518 runs @ 36.49
Rishabh Pant – 2271 runs @ 43.67An aristocratic trio 🔥#ViratKohli #CheteshwarPujara #INDvsAUS #Cricket #Tests #RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/KwUJ5ccTUF
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) February 6, 2023
Despite having a fantastic career in Test cricket, the franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) frequently pass over the seasoned batsman. Pujara had his final appearance in the lucrative league for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) back in 2014. He was then unsigned until the 2021 season, when the Chennai Super Kings acquired him. He was not given a single opportunity to play for Chennai, though. Pujara recently admitted in an interview with the Times of India that he misses playing in the IPL but that his time spent playing County Cricket has greatly benefited his form
“Look, (T20) is an entirely other format. I’ve always thought that I could play the shorter format. And in every format I’ve played in for county and domestic cricket, I’ve had success. It’s just not about me; if you look at the IPL, there have been many outstanding players who have gone unsigned despite excelling in the T20 format “Pujara stated.
“Although it’s always good to be a part of the IPL, I didn’t feel particularly horrible about it. Even though I currently play county cricket, which has greatly aided me, there are times when I miss the IPL. Experiencing those circumstances has aided me in developing my game, “he added.
He scored 1,094 runs at an average of 109.40 throughout his eight County Championship games for Sussex in 2022. In the final game, he scored more than 500 runs in 13 innings, with the highest score being 231. The championship’s fourth-highest run scorer was him.
Last year, the seasoned batter showed off a scorching form. Pujara scored 409 runs at an average of 45.44 in five tests and 10 innings in 2022. Last year, he recorded a century and three half-centuries.
