Cheteshwar Pujara rues lack of opportunities in white-ball cricket

Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is generally termed as a 'Test specialist'. Batting at No. 3 for India, Pujara showed great patience and toughness many times in whites. However, he got limited opportunities in white-ball cricket.

In a recent interview, Pujara opened up about the challenges of being labeled solely as a 'Test cricket specialist'.

The prolific batter admitted that being seen only as a Test specialist reduces opportunities in white-ball cricket, despite his potential to perform across formats. He also stated that the tag was negative for him, as he didn’t get many opportunities in the white-ball formats.

"Well, I've always enjoyed playing the Test format. But if you're just tagged as a Test player, it's not always the right label for someone who has the potential to play other formats. I enjoy Test cricket—it's always been my priority," said Pujara.

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"And yes, being tagged that way means people acknowledge that you're talented enough to play the purest form. But at the same time, it can be limiting and perceived in a negative way. Because once you're tagged as a Test player, you don't get many opportunities with the white ball," he added.

Pujara has played only five ODIs for India and scored only 51 runs. However, he has represented India in 103 Test matches and garnered over 7100 runs with the help of 19 hundreds and 35 fifties.