Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara brought an end to his illustrious career spanning nearly 20 years as he announced his retirement from all formats. Pujara’s long-time Saurashtra and India teammate Jaydev Unadkat penned a heartfelt note for him after he called it a day on Sunday, August 24.
Cheteshwar Pujara found himself in the midst of an emotional outpouring of tributes, best wishes, and heartfelt messages as the former India batter called it a day on his illustrious career, which spannedย nearly 20 years. The 37-year-old, who last played for India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, represented the national team in 103 Tests while scoring 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60. Overall, Pujara amassed 21,301 runs in first-class cricket after playing 278 matches, having begun his career back in 2005.
Pujara’s long-time Saurashtra teammate and Indian bowler, Jaydev Unadkat, penned a heartfelt note for hisย senior, colleague and brother as he recalled how it was the 37-year-old, who asked the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) management back in 2010 to have a look at the left-arm pacer and got his his first IPL gig and how their journey evolved from playing for the same team in domestic cricket to becoming each other’s confidante.
“Hi Jaydev, this is Cheteshwar. I have had a word with Dada and you have to go for KKR trials. You are bowling very well so keep it up!โ This was our first conversation on phone after one of our ranji trophy nets where I was still a net bowler, back in 2010. Little did i know back then, that we would become best mates and share some of our finest memories, and not just on the field!
“Your grit and determination for the game is something that everyone talks about and will talk about for generations to come. And deservedly so. But there was that other side of you, the funnier/naughtier/louder side, where we fought (sometimes violently!) for every fifa battle and took the longest to play every hand at the cards game and argued on absolutely silly topics..ย
“Today when you are putting an end to your illustrious career, I am super proud, although a bit emotional. I am super proud to call you my senior first, my colleague second, and my brother to round it all off! I can keep going on and on, writing and remembering about all those wonderful days. But I will save it till I also call it a day and then we can both sit and reminisce the good old days!ย
“For now, I just want to congratulate you, Puja & Arvind Uncle for a journey that is nothing short of a fairy-tale. You are and will be an inspiration for generations! Thank you, Chintu. See you soon,” he further added.
“Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field – itโs 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 wrote on X (formerly Twitter) as he announced his retirement while mentioning that he will continue to be associated with the game, having already forayed into commentary during the India-England Test series.
The solid No 3, who made a name for himself by being the classical Test batterย the current generation yearns for, also played five ODIs for India.
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