Cheteshwar Pujara retires: Ajinkya Rahane, Anil Kumble lead applause as veteran batter calls time on career

India’s veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara on Sunday (Aug 24) announced his retirement from all forms of cricket as it ended a glorious chapter in the nation’s cricketing tales. Pujara, 37, was the backbone of Indian middle order in the Test format for than a decade before calling time. After his retirement, past and present cricketers applauded Pujara as they reacted on his decision through social media. This included Ajinkya Rahane and other stars from the past and present.

A legend of the modern-day game, Pujara was considered Rahul Dravid’s successor in the middle order when the veteran announced his retirement in 2012. Over the years, the 37-year-old represented India in 103 matches, scoring 7195 runs at an average of 43.60 with a best of unbeaten 206. He scored 19 hundreds and 35 fifties while donning the famous whites of Indian Test cricket.

He also played in ODIs for India, where he had a brief career, scoring 51 runs in five matches with a best of 27. However, it was his Test form that made Pujara a feature in the Indian team, cementing his place for more than a decade.