Cheteshwar Pujara retired from all forms of Indian cricket a few days ago, bringing curtains to an illustrious 13-year-long career, during which he was the batting mainstay of the Indian Test team. Pujara has shared a letter that Prime Minister Narendra Modi penned for him.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi penned a letter to the now-retired Cheteshwar Pujara, calling him the ‘fulcrum of the Indian batting line-up’. Pujara, 37, had recently announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket, bringing an end to a 13-year illustrious career.
Pujara announced his retirement on August 24 as he penned a post on social media. “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,” Pujara wrote in a statement on his social media.
“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. Thank you for all the love and support!” he said.
The cricketer has now shared a letter of appreciation that Prime Minister Modi has written for him. “Dear Cheteshwar, I learnt about your decision to retire from all forms of cricket. Following the announcement, there has been an outpouring of appreciation from the fans and the cricketing fraternity about your remarkable achievements. I convey my heartiest congratulations and warmest greetings on a spectacular cricketing career,” Modi wrote in his letter to Pujara.
The PM hailed his style of play in the age of T20 cricket. “In an age dominated by shorter formats of cricket, you were a reminder of the beauty of the longer format of the game. Your unflappable temperament and ability to bat long hours with great concentration made you the fulcrum of the Indian batting line-up,” he added.
The PM further highlighted Pujara’s contributions with the Indian Test team. Pujara had played crucial roles in India’s Test series wins in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21, with his performance in the 2018/19 series being the biggest standout.
“Your outstanding cricketing career is dotted with moments of remarkable skill and resolve, especially in challenging conditions overseas. For example, fans will always remember instances like the tests in Australia, when you laid the foundation for India’s historic first-ever series win on Australian soil! Standing tall against one of the most potent bowling attacks, you showed what it meant to shoulder responsibility for the team,” he said.
Modi highlighted that the Indian team’s fate was in safe hands when he was in the middle. “There have been many series victories, centuries, double centuries and accolades in your career. But no numbers can capture the sense of calm that your presence gave to fans and teammates, that the team’s fate was in safe hands. This is truly your abiding legacy that goes beyond mere numbers,” the PM further wrote.
Pujara played in 103 Test matches for India and scored 7195 runs with 19 centuries and 35 fifties. He played five ODIs for the Men in Blue, having made 51 runs with the highest score of 27.