Former Indian all-rounder Karsan Ghavri recently stated that Cheteshwar Pujara is extremely likely to declare his retirement from international cricket owing to anger at not being able to secure a berth in the Test system despite his expertise. Pujara just announced his retirement from all forms of cricket with immediate effect, having last played an international match in June 2023.
Ghavri, 74, even compared ace hitters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to others who retired from Test cricket for the same reasons. Ghavri said that Pujara, Kohli, and Rohit deserved at least one farewell Test, and that the BCCI made no attempt to mark the conclusion of the iconic cricketers’ careers.
“It’s possible, he may have retired out of frustration. After representing the country for so long, if a player is not getting chances, anyone will be frustrated. Similarly, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma must have felt that frustration too before the recent England tour. The BCCI may have their own ideas, but ultimately, the player suffers. These players are not demanding crores of rupees. It’s all about honour and they all deserved that farewell Test, 110 per cent,” stated Ghavri, as quoted by Mid-Day.
Ghavri, who also belongs to Pujara’s hometown Rajkot, feels that the 37-year-old contributed as much as Kohli and Rohit to Test cricket for the Indian team, re-emphasizing the need for a farewell for players having represented in 100-plus games.
“All those who have played 100 Tests, should be honoured with a farewell match. The BCCI should have given that honour to Kohli, Rohit and Pujara as they thoroughly deserved it considering their huge contribution to the game. No one wants to end their career like this. If someone has represented the country in 100 or more Tests, it is most definitely a sizeable contribution. He [Pujara] belongs to that distinguished list of players,” added Ghavri.
Pujara played 103 Tests (176 innings) for India.
He registered 7195 runs at an average of 43.60 with 35 fifties and 19 hundreds to his name. He also had three double centuries in his illustrious career, known for grit and patient brand of batsmanship. The 37-year-old has played several gritty and defiant innings during his red-ball stint with the national setup.
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