Media365
Cheteshwar Pujara, India’s rock in Test cricket for over a decade, announced his retirement from all forms of the game on Sunday, closing the book on a career defined by patience, discipline and monumental run-scoring. While his 7,195 Test runs from 103 matches established him as one of India’s greats in the longest format, it is his domestic record that truly underlines his stature as a giant of Indian cricket.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The 37-year-old aggregated a staggering 21,301 runs in first-class cricket, including 66 centuries, a tally bettered only by Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid among Indians. With 18 double centuries, Pujara also stands fourth on the all-time global list behind legends like Don Bradman (37), Wally Hammond (36) and Patsy Hendren (22). The second-most by an Indian is 11 by Vijay Merchant. He is one of only two Indians — alongside his Saurashtra teammate Ravindra Jadeja — to notch up three first-class triple hundreds.
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Pujara was synonymous with Saurashtra’s rise in domestic cricket. He featured in five Ranji Trophy finals, helping them clinch historic titles in 2019/20 and 2022/23 after years of near-misses. No player has contributed more to the state’s success: 7,774 runs at an average of 62.19 and 25 centuries, both records for Saurashtra.Even after being phased out of India’s Test setup post the 2023 World Test Championship final, Pujara continued to churn out domestic runs. His dedication to the grind was evident — whether batting long hours on placid Rajkot tracks or facing fiery pace abroad, he never compromised on discipline.While many celebrated him as India’s modern-day ‘Wall’ after Rahul Dravid, Pujara’s batting legacy rests as much on dusty Ranji grounds as on grand Test arenas. His ability to bat time, wear down bowlers and lead by example turned him into a role model for a generation of domestic cricketers who valued grit over glamour.He looked set for another Ranji season with Saurashtra, even juggling commentary duties during the India-England series with fitness training. But on Sunday, he declared that “all good things must come to an end”, drawing to a close a journey that began as a boy from Rajkot dreaming of wearing the Indian jersey.
