NEW DELHI: Cheteshwar Pujara, India’s tireless Test specialist, on Sunday announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket, drawing the curtains on a remarkable international career that spanned over a decade. The 37-year-old, who last played in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia, leaves behind a legacy of grit, patience and selfless service to the team.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Batting great Sunil Gavaskar led the tributes, calling Pujara “one of the old school cricketers who put India above everything else.” Speaking to TOI, Gavaskar lauded the Saurashtra stalwart’s resilience at the crease: “Took endless blows for Indian cricket but never took a backward step. Hopefully Indian cricket will use his experience and expertise to teach young budding cricketers that whatever they become in life is because of Indian cricket and it should come above anything and everything.”
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Gavaskar signed off his tribute with a heartfelt salute: “Take a bow Cheteshwar. You have made India proud.”Pujara himself kept his farewell understated yet deeply emotional. “Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field — it’s impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude, I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket,” he said in a statement.The Rajkot-born batter made his Test debut in 2010 and went on to score 7,195 runs in 103 Tests at an average of 43.60, including 19 centuries. Known as India’s modern-day ‘wall’, he was the anchor in some of the country’s most famous overseas triumphs, including the 2018-19 series win in Australia.A rare red-ball purist in an era dominated by T20 cricket, Pujara often credited his longevity to discipline: “I have certain routines, fitness, little bit of meditation, yoga and pranayama because it is necessary to shut the outside noise, even if it is positive,” he remarked in 2023.With Pujara’s retirement, Indian cricket bids farewell to a third stalwart this year after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepped away from Tests.
