Cricket: India’s Cheteshwar Pujara retires from international cricket
Pujara calls time on incredible India Test career
As the Indian cricket team prepares for their next major assignment, which comes in the form of the 2025 Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates, one of the nation’s greatest servants of the game, Cheteshwar Pujara, has announced his retirement from international cricket.
The 37-year-old has not featured for the national team since the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup and made the decision to hang up his boots on Sunday, August 24, via a heartfelt official statement on social media. He wrote:
"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. I would like to thank the BCCI and Saurashtra Cricket Association for the opportunity and support through my cricket career. Am equally grateful to all the teams franchises and countries I have been able to represent over the years.”
Pujara is the latest in a list of high-profile cricketers who have called time on their international careers, including the likes of former India captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, as well as legendary spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin.
Across his stunning career, the wicketkeeper batsman turned out for the Men in Blue in 103 Test matches spanning over a decade. He scored 7,193 runs for his nation at an average of 43.60, including 35 half-centuries and 19 tons.
Pujara lifts lid on reason for international retirement
Pujara made his debut for India in 2010, when the team was in the midst of a major overhaul. At the time, India great Rahul Dravid was at the end of his career and Pujara was brought in to replace him as India’s “wall” in the middle order. Following his announcement of retiring, the 37-year-old revealed in an interview:
“Because I knew that if I played another season, I would be holding a spot in the team and I didn’t want to do that. And I wasn’t 100 per cent sure that I wanted to carry on playing the entire season. So I thought that it was the best time for me to move on and provide an opportunity to the younger players who can be part of the Saurashtra team.”
This year, India have seen a major turning of the tide with Shubman Gill being handed captaincy of the Test squad, but Pujara will go down as one of the nation's greatest batsmen ever, and his absence now leaves the Indian selectors with a massive void to fill at number three.
