Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara
Personal information
Full name Cheteshwar Arvind Pujara
Born (1988-01-25) 25 January 1988
Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Nickname Chintu
Batting style Right-handed
Bowling style Right arm leg break
Role Batsman
Relations Arvind Pujara (father)
Bipin Pujara (uncle)
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 25) 9 October 2010 v Australia
Last Test 7 December 2015 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 5) 1 August 2013 v Zimbabwe
Last ODI 19 June 2014 v Bangladesh
ODI shirt no. 16
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2005–present Saurashtra
2008–2010 Kolkata Knight Riders
2011–2013 Royal Challengers Bangalore
2014 Kings XI Punjab
2014 Derbyshire
2015 Yorkshire
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 32 5 122 77
Runs scored 2,420 51 9,518 3,403
Batting average 47.45 10.20 55.02 54.01
100s/50s 7/7 0/0 30/32 10/21
Top score 206* 27 352 158*
Balls bowled 6 – 195 –
Wickets – – 5 –
Bowling average – – 23.40 –
5 wickets in innings – – 0 –
10 wickets in match – n/a 0 n/a
Best bowling – – 2/4 –
Catches/stumpings 24/– 0/– 85/- 32/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 8 April 2015

Cheteshwar Arvind Pujara (born 25 January 1988 in Rajkot, Gujarat) is an Indian cricketer.

He is a right-handed batsman who plays for Saurashtra in domestic cricket. Pujara made his first-class debut for Saurashtra in December 2005 and made his Test debut at Bangalore in October 2010.[1]

He was a part of the India A team which toured England in the 2010 summers, and was the highest scorer of the tour. In October 2011, the BCCI awarded him a C-grade national contract. Known to have a sound technique and the temperament required to play long innings, he was one of the contenders for a spot in the Indian middle order after the retirement of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.[2]

His Test comeback came against New Zealand in August 2012, scoring a century. He made his first double hundred against England at Ahmedabad in November 2012[3] and followed up with another double hundred against Australia in March 2013, both the times steering India to victory and becoming man of the match.[4]

In the 2012 NKP Salve Challenger Trophy, he was the highest scorer with two centuries and one half century. He became one of the fastest batsman to reach 1000 runs in Test cricket in just 11 matches and his 18th Test Innings. He won the Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2013.[5]

Early life

Cheteshwar Pujara was born in Rajkot. His father, Arvind Shivlal Pujara, was a Ranji Trophy player for Saurashtra. His father and his mother, Reema Pujara, recognized his talents early and Cheteshwar practised with his father. Cheteshwar Pujara completed his BBA.

Youth career

Pujara made his Under-19 Test debut for India against England in 2005. Opening the innings, he scored 211 runs to help India win by an innings and 137 runs. He was also picked in the Indian squad for the 2006 Under-19 Cricket World Cup after scoring three fifties in four innings of the Afro-Asia Under-19 Cup. He was the leading run-scorer of the Under-19 World Cup where he scored 349 runs from 6 innings, including three fifties and a century, at an average of 117. He was the Man of the Tournament for the 2006 Under-19 Cricket World Cup

He scored 97 runs against the West Indies in the quarterfinals before scoring 129 runs not out against England in the semifinals, helping India win by a huge margin of 234 runs. However, he was dismissed for a duck in the final, against Pakistan, which India eventually lost.

Domestic career

He scored 10 & 203* from just 221 balls against Madhya Pradesh at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium at Rajkot to ensure a 203-run victory which made them qualify to the 2012–13 Ranji Trophy quarter finals.

In his next match, the quarter final at Saurashtra University in Rajkot against Karnataka, he scored 37 & 352 (dismissed by off spinner K.Gowtham in both innings) to ensure that Saurashtra qualify to the semifinal. Though he was called to the India ODI Squad after this success, yet he was not selected in the first XI.

In 2013, at the age of only 25, Pujara became only the ninth batsman to score three career first-class triple-centuries. His scores were: 302* for Saurashtra against Orissa in 2008/09, 352 for Saurashtra against Karnataka in 2012/13, and 306* for India A against West Indies A in 2013/14.[6] He also holds a record of scoring three triple centuries within a span of one month, although only the last of these was in a first-class match.[7]

Pujara played for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the first three seasons of the IPL. In the 2011 players' auction, he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He started for RCB for the fourth season of the IPL before injuring his knee in a match against Kochi Tuskers Kerala. The injury kept him out of action for nearly a year before he returned to domestic cricket at the end of 2011.

In the 2013–14 Ranji Trophy, he played a lone hand against Bengal at Eden Gardens in November as he scored 102, though his side was bowled out for a meagre 225 in response to Bengal's 303. In the next match against Tamil Nadu at Chennai, he scored a mammoth 269, and struck a 353-run partnership with Jaydev Shah (195) to post a score of 581/6 in response to Tamil Nadu's 565.[8]

In 2014 IPL, Pujara began the season as Virender Sehwag's opening partner and was left out after the first six matches in which he made 125 runs at an average of just 25 at a strike rate of 100.80. In August 2014, following India's tour of England, Pujara joined Derbyshire of the English county cricket for their last three Championship fixtures of the season.[9] Following a forgettable debut against Glamorgan, he followed it up with a second innings unbeaten 90, in the win over Surrey.[10] He finished the season scoring an unbeaten hundred in the second innings, in the win over Leicestershire.[11]

After having not been picked by any franchise for the 2015 IPL season, he signed for Yorkshire.[12]

International career

Test Debut

Pujara was selected for the Indian squad for the 2 match home Test series against Australia in 2010, replacing Yuvraj Singh. He made his debut in the second Test of the series on 9 October 2010 at Bangalore after both Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman were down with injuries sustained in the First Test.

While Laxman was off the field injured in the First Test, Pujara took two catches at silly point as a substitute. In his first Test innings, Pujara scored four runs before getting out LBW to Mitchell Johnson on the third ball he faced.

In the second innings, Pujara was sent in at number three in place of Rahul Dravid in a tactical change by captain MS Dhoni. With India needing 207 runs to win, he made 72 before being bowled by an arm ball from Nathan Hauritz.

Breakthrough

In August 2012, he made a comeback into the team and made his first International Test century, 159 against New Zealand at Hyderabad.

He was selected in the India's squad to play four test matches against England. In the first match at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad he made an unbeaten 206 runs and help his to win the match and go 1-0 up in the series. He also named man of the match for his inning. He continued his good form when he made another hundred in the second match at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. He not only made big scores in next two matches but end the series as second highest run scorer behind England captain Alastair Cook with 438 runs.

He became the 2nd fastest Indian to get to 1,000 Test runs, during the course of his double hundred against Australia in March 2013, at Hyderabad, where he put on a 370-run record 2nd wicket partnership with Murali Vijay. Only Vinod Kambli was faster.

Pujara is also the 12th fastest of all-time. In terms of number of tests (11 matches), he joined the legendary Sunil Gavaskar for the quickest Indian to reach the mark. Pujara had an brilliant test series against Australia scoring 419 runs, only second to Murali Vijay's 430 in which he slammed a double ton's 204 and two half centuries (52 and 82).[13]

As Indian opener Virender Sehwag was struggling out of form, it provided the opportunity for Pujara who hit double and triple tons in successive Ranji trophy matches to prove his ability in shorter versions of the game, as he was selected in the 15 member squad for the ODI series against England, but was injured in practice. Following injury, he made his debut against Zimbabwe, scoring 9 runs.[14]

Cementing his place

On India's tour to South Africa in 2013, he emerged as the highest run scorer in the Test series, scoring 280 runs at an average of 70.00.[15]

Pujara was picked for the Indian squad for the 2014 Asia Cup to be held in Bangladesh. Pujara Play in three match ODI series against Bangladesh in June 2014 and made 0, 11 & 27 respectively.

Struggle with Form

He was also picked in the 16 man squad for the 5 match Test series to be held in England in 2014. In the first match he made 32 runs in the first inning and made a fifty in the second innings. He ended the 5 match series with 222 runs with a highest score of 55. He was not a part of the ODI squad and signed with Yorkshire county cricket club. He returned to form during the three match test series against Sri Lanka Cricket Team in August 2015. He scored 145 not out in the third test against Sri Lanka Cricket team.

He also played in 2014 Border Gavaskar Trophy. In the first match at Adelaide Oval he made 73 runs in the first inning before being bowled by a Nathan Lyon delivery.

Records

Personal life

Pujara is the son of first-class cricketer Arvind Pujara and the nephew of Bipin Pujara. Both Arvind Pujara and Bipin pujara played for Saurashtra in Ranji Trophy. Cheteshwar Pujara married Puja Pabari in Rajkot on 13 February 2013. In February 2014, Pujara was appointed as the 'brand ambassador' for the state of Gujarat by the Election Commission.[17]

Awards

International centuries

Test centuries

Cheteshwar Pujara's Test centuries
# Runs Match Against City/Country Venue Year Result
1 159 4  New Zealand India Hyderabad, India Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium 2012 Won
2 206* 6  England India Ahmedabad, India Sardar Patel Stadium 2012 Won
3 135 7  England India Mumbai, India Wankhede Stadium 2012 Lost
4 204 11  Australia India Hyderabad, India Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium 2013 Won
5 113 15  West Indies India Mumbai, India Wankhede Stadium 2013 Won
6 153 16  South Africa South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Wanderers Stadium 2013 Drawn
7 145* 28  Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Colombo, Sri Lanka Sinhalese Sports Club Ground 2015 Won

International Awards

Test Cricket

Man of the Match awards

S No Series Season Match Performance Result
1 1st Test – Pataudi Trophy Test Series 2012/13 1st Innings: 206* (389 balls, 21×4); 1 Ct.
2nd Innings: 41* (51 balls, 8×4)		  India won by 9 wickets.[18]
2 2nd Test – Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test Series 2013 1st Innings: 204 (341 balls, 30x4, 1x6)
2nd Innings: DNB		  India won by an innings and 135 runs.[19]
3 3rd Test – India in Sri Lanka Test Series 2015 1st Innings: 145* (289 balls, 14x4)
2nd Innings: 0 (2 balls) ; 1 ct.		  India won by 117 runs.[20]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/32540.html
  2. ↑ Marks, Vic (16 November 2012). "India can build their future on Cheteshwar Pujara". The Guardian. Ahmedabad. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  3. ↑ "Spinners strike after Pujara double ton". Wisden India. 15 November 2012.
  4. ↑ "India vs Australia, 2nd Test at Hyderabad scorecard". Wisden India. 4 March 2013.
  5. ↑ The Guardian (13 December 2013). "Ashes captains Clarke and Cook both hit a ton and pick up an annual award". Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  6. ↑ Sidharth Monga (11 October 2013). "Pujara's third triple-century sets up huge lead". ESPN Cricinfo.
  7. ↑ Pujara slams third triple ton in a month, this time against Orissa. The Indian Express. Retrieved on 22 November 2012.
  8. ↑ http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/649265.html
  9. ↑ "Derbyshire win race for Pujara". ESPNCricinfo.com. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  10. ↑ "Godleman, Pujara seal Derbyshire victory". ESPNCricinfo.com. 18 September 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "Leicestershire crumble for a final time". ESPNCricinfo.com. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  12. ↑ "Yorkshire sign Pujara after Younis pulls out". ESPNcricinfo. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "Fastest to 1,000 Test runs". ESPNCricinfo. 4 March 2013.
  14. ↑ Cheteshwar Pujara | Cricket Players and Officials. ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved on 16 November 2012.
  15. ↑ 2013 South African Test Series batting scores
  16. ↑ "Fastest 1000 runs". cricinfo. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  17. ↑ Sarath (22 February 2014). "Cheteshwar Pujara appointed as brand ambassador of Gujarat State Election Commission - Sportskeeda". Sportskeeda.com.
  18. ↑ "England in India Test Series, 2012 - 1st Test".
  19. ↑ "Border-Gavaskar Trophy, 2013 - 2nd Test".
  20. ↑ "India in Sri Lanka Test Series, 2015 - 3rd Test".

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