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Cheteshwar Pujara of India bats during day two of the 2nd test match between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on the 4th December 2021. (Sportzpics)
As veteran cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket, tributes poured from all around the country. Among them was senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor who said that the 37-year-old deserved a more dignified farewell than what he was afforded. Pujara hasn’t donned the national colours since the World Test Championship final vs Australia in June 2023.
“I can’t help feeling a pang of regret at the retirement of @cheteshwar1. Even if it was inevitable after his recent string of exclusions from the Indian team, and even if he has nothing left to prove, he deserved a little longer in the saddle and a dignified farewell worthy of his outstanding Test career for India. When he was dropped, with typical gumption, he returned to the domestic scene and racked up a number of impressive scores. But the selectors had decided to move on, and one cannot blame him for deciding to throw in the towel,” Tharoor posted on X.
“I was reading his wife’s “Diary of a Cricketer’s Wife“ and reflecting on how much it takes to achieve all that Pujara did. He first caught my eye on an IndiaA tour of England, 20 years ago, when his consistent scoring suggested he was ready for the next level. The selectors agreed, he made a precocious 72 in his second innings on debut, & despite one or two setbacks thereafter, went on to become India’s Mr. Reliable at number three. He was badly missed on the last tour of Australia,” he added.
I can’t help feeling a pang of regret at the retirement of @cheteshwar1. Even if it was inevitable after his recent string of exclusions from the Indian team, and even if he has nothing left to prove, he deserved a little longer in the saddle and a dignified farewell worthy of… pic.twitter.com/sOwotYcjH8
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 24, 2025
The Saurashtra batter thus joins a elite list of players who have hung up their boots in the last one year with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin all retiring.
What is Pujara’s legacy?
In Tests, Pujara has amassed 7195 runs at an average of 43.60 and is eighth in the all time leading run-getters from India. He made his debut for India in 2010 in the longest format against Australia. He was one of the chief architects of India’s famous Border Gavaskar trophy triumphs in 2018 and 2021.
He has 19 centuries and 35 half centuries in Tests while has 21301 runs in First Class cricket including 66 100s and 81 50s.
After India seemingly moved on from him, the batter returned to domestic cricket and piled on plenty of runs. His last First Class match was earlier this February where he played against Gujarat.
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