Plucky Pujara retires from all forms of Indian cricket
New Delhi (PTI): Cheteshwar Pujara, the rock of Indian batting in the longest format for over a decade, on Sunday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, bringing the curtains down on an exemplary Test career.
The 37-year-old made the announcement on social media, having played the last of his 103 Tests in 2023.
"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.
"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," Pujara said in a heartfelt note.
The decision was not entirely surprising, considering the team's two other stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, bid farewell to Test cricket ahead of the England tour earlier this year, while another long-time teammate, R Ashwin, retired midway through the Australia tour in December.
With 7195 runs at an average of 43.60, Pujara stands at eighth place in the all time leading run-getters from India. He also amassed 21301 runs in first-class cricket.
With another domestic season around the corner, Pujara was expected to turn up for Saurashtra but the champion batter thought it was the right time move on.
"We were hoping he would play the upcoming season but we respect his decision. What a legend he has been for Saurashtra and Indian cricket. Alongside Ravindra Jadeja, Pujara is the biggest cricketer to have come out of Saurashtra and we can't thank him enough for his contribution to the game in the region.
"I would have loved to see him say goodbye from the ground but it his call and we wish him all the best," Saurashtra Cricket Association president Jaydev Shah told PTI.
Pujara had made his first-class debut under Shah's captaincy.
"His dedication towards the game from the start and end of his career remained the same. That is how I would remember him. Also, a big salute to his father (Arvind Pujara) for shaping his cricketing career and making him one of the best in the business," Shah added.
During his time away from the Indian team, Pujara turned to commentary and was part of the broadcast team for the recent India-England series in the UK. As recently as last month, he seemed committed to play another year of domestic cricket and was keeping up with his fitness routine even while commentating.
Pujara collected 19 hundreds and 35 half centuries in his careering ranging from 2010 to 2023. Following the retirement of Rahul Dravid, he became the wall of the Indian Test team especially in overseas conditions.
His conventional methods may not be the most attractive but were very effective. He was brilliant at tiring out the bowlers and batting time, something that was best displayed on the back-to-back tours of Australia in 2018 and 2021 when he played a pivotal role in the team's successive series wins Down Under.
After the team moved on from him and Ajinkya Rahane in 2023, Pujara piled on runs in domestic cricket with the hunger of a teenager.
"He trained like an 18-year-old with us wanting to go back to where he belonged (Indian team). Such was his dedication to the game," said current Saurashtra head coach Niraj Odedra.
"I did not see the retirement decision coming but I am guessing he made the call know that he won't be playing for India again. Having said that his contribution to Indian cricket is immense. I would say it was a tad too late but a good decision," Odedra added.
As a person, Pujara remains a picture of humility. In his retirement message, he duly thanked the people and institutions that made him the player he became.
"I would like to thank the BCCI, and Saurashtra Cricket Association for the opportunity and support through my cricket career. I wouldn't have made it this far without the invaluable guidance of my mentors, coaches and spiritual guru -to them I shall always remain indebted.
"A big thank you to all my teammates, support staff, net bowlers, analysts, logistics team, umpires, ground staff, scorers, media personnel and all those who tirelessly work behind the scenes to enable us to compete and play this game we love.
"The game has taken me to places across the globe - and the passionate support and energy of the fans has always been a constant.
"And ofcourse none of all this would have been possible or meaningful without the innumerable sacrifices and steadfast support of my family my parents, my wife Puja, my daughter Aditi; my in-laws and the rest of my extended family - who have made this journey truly worth it," added Pujara.
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Junior Hockey World Cup: IndiGo crisis disrupts travel plans of players' families, fans
Chennai (PTI): For Kate, the dream was simple -- to watch her son Fahy Noah play for the Australian team in the Junior Hockey World Cup here and visit the Taj Mahal.
But her plans, like those of many others, have been upended by the operational crisis that has hit IndiGo, India's largest domestic airline.
"I am here for the first time and India is so kind and welcoming. We were hoping to see the Taj Mahal, but with the IndiGo problems, we are a bit scared now," Kate, who has come from Brisbane, told PTI outside the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium here.
"One family went on a rest day and got stuck overnight. I think we will have to cancel all our travel plans now, though seeing the Taj Mahal was on my bucket list for long," she said.
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This is the first time that 24 teams are participating in the Junior Hockey World Cup, being held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. For most players and their families, it is their maiden trip to India. Many NRIs have also flown in to support the Indian team.
However, the widespread flight delays and cancellations have thrown schedules into chaos. IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights last week, citing regulatory changes in the pilots' flight duty and regulations norms. This resulted in lakhs of passengers getting stuck at airports across the country.
Laura, who has come from Belgium with her entire family to support her son, said they are now travelling by road.
"We are happy to be here in this beautiful country. We went to Munnar and Madurai, and now we are planning to go to Puducherry and Mahabalipuram by road," she said.
"We had taken IndiGo flights earlier, but some other families who travelled on different days got stuck and somehow managed to come back by train. So we are not flying anywhere in India now. Road travel only and then back to Brussels next week," she said.
For 87-year-old Kenyan hockey legend Avtar Singh Sohal, a four-time Olympian and a lifelong supporter of Indian hockey, the crisis was particularly distressing. He spent 12 gruelling hours at the Chandigarh airport on December 4 before finally reaching Chennai just in time for the quarterfinals.
"Our IndiGo flight was delayed by 12 hours. We were at the airport from 7 am to 7 pm. They kept giving excuses -- the aircraft has not arrived, the pilot is not available. We had no idea what was actually happening," he said.
Accompanying Sohal was 85-year-old Tarlok Singh Mandair, a former treasurer of the English Hockey Association, who had flown in from London.
"It was a horrible experience. They kept changing the timings from 12 noon to 4 pm and we finally took off at 7:20 pm. They gave us sandwiches which were not even good," Mandair recalled.
"Our return flight is also on IndiGo, but now we are exploring other options," he said.
Jujhar Singh Plaha, 86, from London, who was on the same flight, said his excitement has turned into anxiety.
"We were so excited about this trip; hockey is our first love. But this (IndiGo crisis) spoiled our mood. Now we are worried about returning because at our age, we cannot travel long distances by train or road," he said.
Jason, the father of Australian player Roger Lachlan, has had an eventful trip to India so far -- beginning with the rain in Chennai triggered by Cyclone Ditwah.
"We are from Hobart -- home of Ricky Ponting and David Boon. We arrived after a cyclone, which caused heavy rain. Now the sun is out and we are enjoying ourselves," he said with a smile.
Jason, too, has shelved all further travel plans.
"No sightseeing now. We will just eat, swim and head back. I am loving masala dosa, masala tea and curries," he said.
Some fans from Bengaluru, who had booked their flight tickets months in advance, decided not to take a risk. They opted for refunds and drove down to Chennai on Sunday to catch the semifinal.
"With flight uncertainty and trains full, we drove down. We did not want to miss India in the semis," said Vinod Chinnappa, who drove for six hours to come here.
Even officials have not been spared by the flight disruptions.
Digvijay Singh, an official of the Hockey India League franchise, waited eight hours at the Patna airport to catch a flight to Chennai.
"I did not want to miss the India-Belgium quarterfinal, so I waited. I finished all episodes of (web series) Family Man at the lounge," he said.
"I had gone to Patna from Delhi for a meeting earlier in the day and then needed to connect to Chennai," Singh said.
With the World Cup set to wrap up in two days, uncertainty about people's plans to return home looms large.
With prices of alternative flights rising and train seats nearly impossible to find, fans, officials, families and journalists are monitoring travel apps as closely as match updates.
If the situation does not improve soon, returning home could be as challenging as winning matches on the field.
