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Cheteshwar Pujara has retired after Test and Duleep Trophy snubs, ending his career as India’s eighth-highest run-scorer with 7195 runs in 103 matches.
Cheteshwar Pujara has hung up his boots after 15 years of international cricket (Picture credit: ICC)
Star Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara’s retirement was propelled by a permanent snub from the Test team as well as one from the West Zone’s Duleep Trophy squad, according to a report in The Times of India. The batter announced his retirement on Sunday through a social media post.
Pujara, the last of the Test purists and India’s rock at No. 3, ended his career as the eighth-highest run-scorer for the side, amassing 7195 runs in 103 games.
Pujara’s decision came only three months after he revealed that he still has the hunger and desire to play for India. It was only in May that he admitted that he wanted to be part of the team for the England tour. Despite being out of the team for two years, he was still scoring runs in first-class cricket.
In the last Ranji Trophy season, Pujara played seven matches for Saurashtra and scored 402 runs at an average of 40.2, including a double hundred against Chhattisgarh. He featured in six first-class County matches for Sussex in 2024 as well, scoring 501 runs.
Not only was he not picked for the tour of England, but he was snubbed for the upcoming Duleep Trophy as well. As per the report, these two factors left him with little choice in extending his career.
“Perhaps if he were picked for the Test series in England, Pujara would have retired after the fifth Test. Look, one big factor in his retirement is also the fact that he doesn’t play in the IPL,” a source told The Times of India.
“In that case, the Test snub and the Duleep Trophy snub meant there was little point in continuing to play domestic cricket for Saurashtra,” the source added.
Pujara’s decision came only two days after a report said that the Saurashtra Cricket Association had confirmed that he had expressed his intention to play in the Ranji Trophy.
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