Cheteshwar Pujara revealed that he chose to retire before the Ranji Trophy to give young players more chances and called it a proud moment.
Cheteshwar Pujara has officially retired from all forms of Indian cricket, ending a remarkable career that spanned over a decade. The veteran batter accumulated 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60, including 19 centuries and 35 fifties. He became the backbone of India’s Test lineup after Rahul Dravid’s retirement, holding the crucial No. 3 position.
Pujara made his Test debut in 2010 and gradually evolved into one of the most reliable batters in the format. Announcing his decision, he said it was time to step aside and allow young cricketers to gain more opportunities in both international and domestic cricket.
“See, I didn’t think much about it earlier. From about a week I thought a little that this is the right time. So today when I took this decision, it is quite a proud moment for me and for my whole family. On this day I want to thank all my teammates, my coaches and all the support staff I worked with, because this is a proud moment for me. Representing the Indian team, from childhood, when I was small, it was always a dream to play for India. When that dream got completed and for so many years this journey went on, we created so many memories, so there are many proud moments in my career till now,” Pujara was quoted as saying by India Today.
“This was my personal call and I decided that this is the right time, especially when young players should get opportunities in domestic cricket. Earlier, I thought maybe I will play this Ranji season, but then I felt that if young players get the opportunity, they will be ready sooner. So this was my personal call. About the past few years when I wasn’t part of the Indian team, I don’t want too speak much,” he added.
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Cheteshwar Pujara then acknowledged how overcoming injuries and still playing for more than a decade was beyond his own expectations.
“For me, this is a very memorable day, and the journey with the Indian team, the matches and the series we played, the team’s performances, they all mean a lot to me. Actually today is a proud moment, a happy day. I got the opportunity to play for India for so many years. In my career, I had two big injuries in 2009 and 2011, to recover from them and still play so many years, I never thought it would happen. So I am grateful that I got the chance to play for the Indian team for so many years,” he concluded.
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Last Updated on August 24, 2025
