India batter Cheteshwar Pujara on Sunday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Pujara last played for India in the 2023 World Test Champions final against Australia at The Oval.
Pujara made the announcement on social media. In the emotional statement, he wrote that wearing the Indian jersey and giving his all was an indescribable honour, but with gratitude, he has decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket.
“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. Thank you for all the love and support,” he wrote on X.
Pujara also attached a lengthy statement along with the post, where he spoke about his two-decade-long journey, expressing gratitude to teammates, coaches, fans, and family. He called representing India an honour, cherished the memories and lessons cricket gave him, and thanked everyone who stood by him throughout his career.
Pujara retired from international cricket as the eighth-highest run-getter in Test cricket for India, with a tally of 7195 runs at an average of 43.60, laced with 19 centuries and 35 fifties. After making his debut in 2010, he played 103 Tests and 5 ODIs for India.
For more than a decade, he stood as India’s rock at No. 3, shaping some of the team’s most memorable Test victories both at home and abroad. One of those iconic performances came in India’s 2018/19 tour of Australia, where he played the central role in the team’s historic series win. He scored 521 runs, faced 1,258 balls, and struck three centuries. His courageous show was even compared to that of the legendary Sunil Gavaskar’s 774-run haul in the 1970/71 tour of the West Indies.
Pujara’s decision to retire from the sport came just three months after he expressed his hunger and desire to be part of the Indian squad for the tour of England. In the last Ranji Trophy season, he played seven games for Saurashtra and scored 402 runs at an average of 40.20, including a double century against Chhattisgarh. He also featured in six first-class County games for Sussex last year, scoring 501 runs. But unfortunately was not recalled.
He made his last appearance in competitive cricket in early February this year, in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match against Gujarat at home, scoring 26 and 2.