Cheteshwar Pujara, 37, on Sunday (August 24) announced his retirement from competitive cricket, bringing the curtains down on a stellar career.

Having not played a Test in the past two years, Pujara said he felt it was the right time to walk away without regrets. The dependable batter finishes with 7,195 runs in 103 Tests, including 19 centuries, at an average of over 43.

Turns commentator

“There are no regrets. I am very fortunate to have played for the Indian team for such a long time, not many players got that opportunity, so I am very thankful to my family and people who have supported me,” Pujara told reporters in a media conference in his hometown.

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He has already started his work as a broadcaster during the recent Test series in England and indicated that he has found his calling in commentary.

“I am really happy that I am calling this off, but at the same time, I will stay attached to the game. As a cricketer, I would like to stay associated with cricket, doing commentary, and I have started doing media work as well. I am not going to play cricket, but I will be watching the Indian team and commenting on it. The honour will continue,” he added.

Cricketing journey

He made his Test debut in 2010, but it was after Rahul Dravid’s retirement in 2012 that he made the No. 3 spot his own for the next decade.

He had two memorable tours of Australia, but the 2018-19 series, where he scored 521 runs with three hundreds, facing as many as 1258 deliveries, will always be his lasting legacy.

“There have been many great moments on the field, but if I have to single out one Test series on the Australian soil, in 2018 was one of the best achievements of my cricketing career and one of the best memories for the India team as well,” he said.

“It was one of the best series I have been a part of.” Pujara, who literally forced his way into the Indian team in 2019 against Australia, had scored a 72 in a run chase in the second innings in Bengaluru. He remembered how he was overawed when he first entered the Indian dressing room.

Proudest moment

“I made my debut for the Indian team in 2010, which was one of the proudest moments of my cricketing journey. When I made my debut in 2010 under Mahi bhai, it was a dream come moment for me because there were some great players in the team.”

“Players like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, I am still trying to recollect those names…whom I have grown up watching, so it was one of the proudest moments of my cricketing career.”

Remembers mother

On a deeply personal note, he remembered his mother, Reena Pujara, who passed away in 2005, after battling cancer when he was 17. “She always used to tell my father — Don’t worry about your son, eventually he will play for the Indian team, and her words came true, and I’m sure she will be very proud of the achievements I have made in my cricketing journey.”

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“But at the same time, I still remember her words; she used to tell me that you need to be a good person no matter how big you become as a cricketer. I still remember that, and she will be very proud of me.”

Thanks spiritual guru

The veteran batter also expressed gratitude to his spiritual guru, Haricharan Das Ji Maharaj, for helping him stay calm and balanced during high-pressure moments.

“I would also like to thank my spiritual guru, Shri Haricharan Dasji Maharaj, who has contributed to my spiritual journey. His words, “You need to be mentally calm and focus on the game because you play in a high-pressure situation, not just in cricket but in life, and he has taught me so many things, and to stay balanced and focused.”

(With agency inputs)