TV
India’s legendary Test batter Cheteshwar Pujara, renowned for his resilience and classical technique, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Sunday, August 24. While his decision came as an emotional moment for fans, a significant factor behind his exit has now come to light — the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Pujara, often celebrated as the “wall” of modern Indian cricket, thrived in an era dominated by stroke-makers and aggressive batters. He built his legacy on patience, grit, and his ability to grind down opposition attacks with dogged determination. Despite suffering several serious injuries early in his career, Pujara always bounced back stronger, becoming the backbone of India’s Test batting lineup for over a decade and scripting some unforgettable knocks.
Though not naturally suited to the fast-paced T20 format, Pujara did feature in the IPL. Over the years, he represented Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), and Chennai Super Kings. In 30 IPL matches, he scored 390 runs at an average of 20.52 and a strike rate of 99.74. His last IPL stint came in 2021, when CSK bought him for INR 50 lakh, but he did not play a single game that season.
After being dropped from the Indian Test side following the ICC World Test Championship 2023 Final, Pujara continued to score consistently for Saurashtra in domestic cricket and for Sussex in county cricket. However, his efforts went unrewarded as he was overlooked for both the national team recall and the Duleep Trophy selection.
According to a report, these repeated snubs, combined with the absence of an IPL contract, were decisive in his retirement call. For a player who epitomized Test match grit, the lack of opportunities at the highest level — and the reality of being sidelined from the IPL spotlight — ultimately pushed Cheteshwar Pujara into walking away from professional cricket.
