Cheteshwar Pujara travels to Bangalore for participating in Duleep Trophy semi-final 

Veteran Indian Test batter Cheteshwar Pujara recently left for Bangalore along with some of his West Zone teammates to participate in the Duleep Trophy semifinal.

Priyank Panchal-led star-studded West Zone side will play in the first semifinal of the Duleep Trophy, which commences on July 5 at the KSCA Cricket Ground in Alur. Star players like Suryakumar Yadav, Prithvi Shaw, and Sarfaraz Khan are also part of the squad along with Pujara.

Defending champions West Zone will face Central Zone in the semis after defeating North East Zone comprehensively by 511 runs in the second quarterfinal.

Pujara faced an axe from the Indian Test squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against West Indies after his mixed performances over the past few years. After the snub, the senior batter made himself available to play for the West Zone in the Duleep Trophy.

The 35-year-old recently took to Instagram and updated his fans about his journey to Bangalore by sharing a picture. He wrote:

"Off to Bangalore for Duleep Trophy"

Cheteshwar Pujara with his West Zone mates.

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"I think this is one decision that has not gone down well with many people"- WV Raman on selectors' decision to drop Cheteshwar Pujara from the Indian Test team

Former India opener WV Raman recently criticized selectors' move of dropping Cheteshwar Pujara for the Test series against West Indies. He backed up his opinion by shedding light on Pujara's contributions to crucial wins at home and abroad over the last decade.

In a video shared on Aakash Chopra's YouTube channel, Raman said:

"The problem is that they have picked four possible openers, and they have dropped Pujara, which is another bone of contention. A cricketer like Pujara has done a lot for Indian cricket, and he has been instrumental for India winning both at home and abroad on quite a few occasions."

He continued:

"He is a gritty customer. He was even elevated to vice-captaincy quite recently but a failure in the WTC final, he finds that he is left out in the cold. I think this is one decision that has not gone down well with many people, and I, personally, as well, I am not for it."

Do you agree with WV Raman's views above? Let us know in the comments section.