Cheteshwar Pujara has called time on his professional cricket career.
The 37-year-old played 103 Tests for India. He has not appeared for the team since the World Test Championship final in 2023. Pujara made his Test debut in 2010. He scored 7,195 runs, including 19 hundreds.
In his farewell note on social media, Pujara wrote that wearing the Indian jersey and singing the anthem was a dream. He said he gave his best every time he stepped on the field.
He added that every journey must end. With gratitude, he announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket.
Tributes poured in soon after. Gautam Gambhir wrote on Instagram, “He stood tall when the storm raged, he fought when hope was fading. Congratulations Pujji.”
Anil Kumble also congratulated Pujara on a fantastic career. He called him a true ambassador of the game. Kumble said it was a privilege to work with him and wished him success in his second innings.
Sunil Gavaskar praised Pujara as a cricketer who always put India first. He said Pujara took many blows but never stepped back. Gavaskar hoped Indian cricket would use his knowledge to guide the next generation.
Pujara continued to play domestic cricket and county cricket in England even after his last Test. His retirement comes at a time when Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin have also stepped away from Test cricket in the past year.