Cheteshwar Pujara announces retirement from all forms of cricket

Cheteshwar Pujara, one of the foremost Test specialists in the 21st century, has announced his retirement from all forms of competitive cricket. The 37-year-old veteran took to social media on Sunday (August 24, 2025) morning to make his retirement announcement public.

“As a little boy from the small town of Rajkot, along with my parents, I set out to aim for the stars; and dreamt to be a part of the Indian cricket team. Little did I know then that this game would give me so much — invaluable opportunities, experiences, purpose, love, and above all a chance to represent my state and this great nation,” Pujara wrote in a statement.

“Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field – it’s impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket.”

One of the foremost Test specialists in the 21st century Cheteshwar Pujara retires

Former Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on August 24, 2025.

“Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field – it’s impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket,” said Pujara in a heartfelt note.

Pujara has played 103 Tests scoring 7,195 runs with 206 not out being his highest score. He has scored 19 centuries along with 35 half-centuries.

In first class cricket, he has played 278 matches scoring 21,301 runs with 352 being his highest. His average in first-class cricket is 51.82. He has scored 66 centuries and 81 half-centuries.

Son and pupil of former Ranji player Arvind, Pujara grew up piling on big scores even as a boy: a triple-century in Under-14 cricket, and a double against England in Under-19.

In a heartfelt note, Cheteshwar Pujara said “As a little boy from the small town of Rajkot, along with my parents, I set out to aim for the stars; and dreamt to be a part of the Indian cricket team. Little did I know then that this game would give me so much — invaluable opportunities, experiences, purpose, love, and above all a chance to represent my state and this great nation.”

Cheteshwar Pujara also has played 71 T20 matches scoring 1,556 runs with 100 being his best.

In his brief white-ball career, Pujara played five one-day internationals during 2013-14, but cemented his place in the test side while mostly batting at No. 3 after Rahul Dravid quit international cricket. Pujara, a technically proficient right-handed batter, made his test debut against Australia at Bengaluru in 2010 and was part of many memorable victories against the same opposition in red-ball cricket.

1/3

Even though the 37-year-old last featured in a Test more than two years ago, Pujara was active on the domestic circuit. Saurashtra’s Ranji Trophy quarterfinal loss against Gujarat in February turned out to be his last competitive appearance in a First Class career spanning almost 20 years.

Of the 278 First Class matches that he represented in, Pujara revelled in a majority of the 103 Test matches he represented for India. While untimely knee injuries curtailed his limited overs career – he played the last of his five ODIs and the last of his 30 IPL matches in 2014 – he emerged as Rahul Dravid’s successor as India No. 3 in white flannels.

More than his tally of 7,195 runs at 43.60, including 19 hundreds and 35 fifties, it was Pujara’s uncanny ability to blunt it out and take the fizz out of the opposition bowlers that came to the fore time and again. It was at its peak during India’s maiden Test series triumph in Australia in 2018-19. Pujara not only scored 521 runs to emerge as the top-scorer of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but also faced a whopping 1,258 balls.

With him being considered as a Test specialist at international cricket, Pujara continued to contribute to Saurashtra’s emergence as a domestic force to reckon with. His tally of 21,301 First Class runs is the fourth-highest by an Indian batter. No Indian batter has scored more than Pujara’s 18 double hundreds. He is also a member of a rare batters’ club to have scored three triple hundreds.