Gloucestershire signed Cheteshwar Pujara on Wednesday for the first six matches of the English County Championship, which starts on April 12. Pujara is one of the specialists of the Indian Test team, providing solidity to the batting line-up. He has signed to play with Gloucestershire from April 12 to May 22.
In a press release issued by the club, Pujara said, “I am really excited to get the opportunity to represent Gloucestershire this season. The Club has a rich cricketing history, and this is a great opportunity to be a part of it and contribute to its success.”
The 32-year-old’s ability to bat for long periods was a great reason for the team signing him up. The Gloucestershire side will be playing in Division One of the English County Championship for the first time in over a decade, making Pujara’s role in the games even more crucial.
He said, “I am grateful to the Club for giving me this opportunity and cannot wait to get to Bristol to meet my teammates and score some runs.”
“I have really enjoyed the experience of coming over to the UK and playing county cricket over the last few years and I am looking forward to building on that whilst continuing to improve my game.”
Pujara has previously played for Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and Nottinghamshire in the Championship.
Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson said, “Cheteshwar is a player with a great temperament who will add international experience to the squad. He is undoubtedly one of the best batsmen in world cricket and we are very fortunate to have him in our squad for the start of the County Championship campaign.”
Dawson further added, “Adding Pujara to a strong batting line-up gives me great confidence ahead of our opening County Championship matches.”
Javagal Srinath was the first Indian player to play for Gloucestershire in 1995. He had taken 87 wickets in the season he had played for the county. After him, Pujara will be the next. He will play the four-day games against Yorkshire, Lancashire, Kent, Somerset, Essex, and Surrey.
