Cheteshwar Pujara bows out of all forms of Indian cricket

India's prolific test batter ends a stellar career with 103 tests and over 7000 runs.

New Delhi: Cheteshwar Pujara, the rock of Indian batting in the longest format for over a decade, on Sunday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, bringing the curtains down on an exemplary Test career.

The 37-year-old made the announcement on social media, having played the last of his 103 Tests in 2023.

"As a little boy from the small town of Rajkot, along with my parents, I set out to aim for the stars; and dreamt to be a part of the Indian cricket team. Little did I know then that this game would give me so much - invaluable opportunities, experiences, purpose, love, and above all a chance to represent my state and this great nation.

"Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field - it's impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket," Pujara said in a heartfelt note.

The decision was not entirely surprising, considering the team's two other stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, bid farewell to Test cricket ahead of the England tour earlier this year, while another long-time teammate, R Ashwin, retired midway through the Australia tour in December.

With 7195 runs at an average of 43.60, Pujara stands at eighth place in the all time leading run-getters from India. He also amassed 21301 runs in first-class cricket.

With another domestic season around the corner, Pujara was expected to turn up for Saurashtra but the champion batter thought it was the right time move on.

"We were hoping he would play the upcoming season but we respect his decision. What a legend he has been for Saurashtra and Indian cricket. Alongside Ravindra Jadeja, Pujara is the biggest cricketer to have come out of Saurashtra and we can't thank him enough for his contribution to the game in the region.

"I would have loved to see him say goodbye from the ground but it his call and we wish him all the best," Saurashtra Cricket Association president Jaydev Shah told PTI.

Pujara had made his first-class debut under Shah's captaincy.

"His dedication towards the game from the start and end of his career remained the same. That is how I would remember him. Also, a big salute to his father (Arvind Pujara) for shaping his cricketing career and making him one of the best in the business," Shah added.

During his time away from the Indian team, Pujara turned to commentary and was part of the broadcast team for the recent India-England series in the UK. As recently as last month, he seemed committed to play another year of domestic cricket and was keeping up with his fitness routine even while commentating.

Pujara collected 19 hundreds and 35 half centuries in his careering ranging from 2010 to 2023. Following the retirement of Rahul Dravid, he became the wall of the Indian Test team especially in overseas conditions.

His conventional methods may not be the most attractive but were very effective. He was brilliant at tiring out the bowlers and batting time, something that was best displayed on the back-to-back tours of Australia in 2018 and 2021 when he played a pivotal role in the team's successive series wins Down Under.

After the team moved on from him and Ajinkya Rahane in 2023, Pujara piled on runs in domestic cricket with the hunger of a teenager.

"He trained like an 18-year-old with us wanting to go back to where he belonged (Indian team). Such was his dedication to the game," said current Saurashtra head coach Niraj Odedra.

"I did not see the retirement decision coming but I am guessing he made the call know that he won't be playing for India again. Having said that his contribution to Indian cricket is immense. I would say it was a tad too late but a good decision," Odedra added.

As a person, Pujara remains a picture of humility. In his retirement message, he duly thanked the people and institutions that made him the player he became.

"I would like to thank the BCCI, and Saurashtra Cricket Association for the opportunity and support through my cricket career. I wouldn't have made it this far without the invaluable guidance of my mentors, coaches and spiritual guru -to them I shall always remain indebted.

"A big thank you to all my teammates, support staff, net bowlers, analysts, logistics team, umpires, ground staff, scorers, media personnel and all those who tirelessly work behind the scenes to enable us to compete and play this game we love.

"The game has taken me to places across the globe - and the passionate support and energy of the fans has always been a constant.

"And ofcourse none of all this would have been possible or meaningful without the innumerable sacrifices and steadfast support of my family my parents, my wife Puja, my daughter Aditi; my in-laws and the rest of my extended family - who have made this journey truly worth it," added Pujara.