No regrets over last 2 years, proud to have played for India in 100 Tests: Pujara

When he looks back at his career, there is nothing but fulfilment for Cheteshwar Pujara. The ever-dependable No. 3 batter, who retired from all forms of Indian cricket on Sunday, said he has no regrets about his career, including the last two years when he was not considered for senior national team selection.

Speaking to India Today in an exclusive chat on Tuesday, 26 August, Pujara said representing the country in more than 100 Tests is a proud achievement and that he will always have the satisfaction of having given his 100 per cent to the teams he played for in a decorated career that spanned 20 years.

Pujara announced his retirement on Sunday, more than two years after he played his last Test for India. Despite scoring close to 1,000 runs in the 2024–25 red-ball season, which included a County Championship stint, Pujara was overlooked for the home season and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Rajkot star was not considered for the England tour, which marked the beginning of a new World Test Championship cycle for India after the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

“I was fortunate enough to represent India in more than 100 Test matches, and I’m proud of that, rather than worrying about what didn’t happen in the last couple of years. When I look back, I feel satisfied. I know I gave my best for the country and created some great memories,” Pujara said.

Pujara, however, admitted he was still yearning to play for India during those two years spent grinding it out in the domestic circuit, but said he eventually chose to retire in order to give the next generation of Saurashtra cricketers their opportunity.

"I think one needs to decide—there always comes a time in a sportsperson’s life when you need to move on. For me, this thought came just about a week ago, when I started talking to my family members. I was almost about to begin my preparation for the season, but I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to carry on. So I spoke to my family, my friends, some teammates, and senior cricketers whom I always consult.

"I felt it might be the right time to move on because it also gives an opportunity to a younger player to be part of the Saurashtra squad, gain experience, and step into that role to progress in his career. My decision was largely about providing that opportunity to younger players, since I haven’t been part of the Indian team for the last couple of years," he said.

He was dropped from the Test side after the World Test Championship final in 2023. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Pujara had endured a lean patch in Test cricket, and his returns in 2023 — 181 runs in five Tests at an average of 25.85 — forced the selectors’ hand.

WANTED TO PLAY FOR INDIA AGAIN: PUJARA

However, India did feel his absence, especially when they lost 0–3 to New Zealand in 2024, their first home series defeat in more than a decade. Pujara’s experience and solidity were also sorely missed during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, when batting stalwarts, including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, struggled.

“Well, I don’t want to dwell too much on what happened in those years, but yes, I did want to make a comeback. I was trying my best to play top-level cricket. At one point, though, my focus shifted to simply enjoying my cricket — whether it was first-class cricket or county cricket. That was important for me,” Pujara said, declining to reveal whether he had conversations with the selectors, or if they had reached out to him, in the final two years of his career.

“Of course, the ultimate goal was to play for the country again, and I would have been very happy if that had happened. But even if it didn’t, I wanted to enjoy my cricket.

“After a certain stage, once you’ve worked really hard for many years and matured as a player, you want to play with less pressure and more joy. First-class cricket gives you that space — you’re with teammates and colleagues, you don’t feel the same mental burden, and you can just enjoy yourself on and off the field. That’s what I did in the last couple of years, and I have no regrets,” he said.

Pujara retired from Test cricket as India’s eighth-highest run-scorer in the format. He is one of only 14 Indian Test cricketers to have played more than 100 matches.

While not the most flamboyant, Pujara will forever be remembered for his old-fashioned approach to Test cricket, with which he thrived even in the era of T20. Though he produced many memorable innings, his heroics in the 2018–19 and 2020–21 tours of Australia remain the defining highlights of his career.