Cheteshwar Pujara's top 5 partnerships in Tests with Virat Kohli

Veteran Indian player Cheteshwar Pujara officially announced his retirement from Indian cricket on August 24, 2025. The gritty batter amassed over 100 Test appearances for India in a career that spanned almost 15 years. He hung up his boots with 7195 Test runs to his name at an average of 43.60, which included 19 hundreds.

For almost a decade, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara were certified members in India's dominant red-ball brigade. It is no surprise that they spent some considerable time together at the crease, since they were placed next to each other in the batting order.

Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara were prolific as a pair, operating proceedings in the middle order. They played together in 83 innings, where they collectively scored 3513 runs at an average of 43.37. They put on seven partnerships that exceeded 100 runs, and 18 stands that were over 50 runs.

On that note, let us take a look at the top five partnerships in Tests between Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli.

#5 125 runs (IND vs NZ 2012 2nd Test; Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad)

Among the very first prominent partnerships that Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli put together was during the home series against New Zealand in 2012. Playing together as relatively new members of the Indian test batting setup amid transition after Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman's retirements, the duo showed the world they are capable of taking over the torch.

Batting as the first-choice No.3 in his career, Pujara made a massive statement with a 159-run knock after coming into bat in the 10th over. Virat Kohli joined him at the crease after Sachin Tendulkar's dismissal for just 19. With the score reading 125-3, India still had work to do, which the newcomers did to perfection.

The promising partnership came to an end after Virat Kohli was dismissed for 58 runs off 107 deliveries in the 69th over, and it was just the start of great things that indeed followed.

#4 113 runs (ENG vs IND 3rd Test 2018; Trent Bridge, Nottingham)

Trialing by 0-2 during the tour of England in 2018, Cheteshwar Pujara was among the batters under the pump. After missing the series opener and poor returns in the innings defeat at Lord's, India needed their No.3 to step up.

Although he scored just 14 in the first innings, India were in a commanding position courtesy of Virat Kohli's brilliant 97. Hardik Pandya's heroics with the ball meant that the visitors had a massive lead to play with, and it was up to them to make the most of it.

In the second innings, India were placed well at 111-2 when Kohli and Pujara joined forces. The pair put on 113 runs for the third wicket to take the game completely out of England's hands. Kohli scripted a famous hundred while Pujara chipped in with a trademark gritty 74 off 208 deliveries.

The Men in Blue eventually declared at 352-7, before bowling out England for 317 to record their first win on the tour.

#3 170 runs (AUS vs IND 3rd Test 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar series; MCG, Melbourne)

Cheteshwar Pujara enjoyed a dominant start to the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar series campaign after scoring a hundred and a fifty in India's win in the first Test at Adelaide. He was not able to make an impact on a tough surface in Perth after that, as Australia recorded a convincing win to level the series.

After opting to bat first in the Boxing Test at the MCG, Pujara walked into bat inside the first session after makeshift opener Hanuma Vihari departed for six runs. The No.3 batter first put on a crucial partnership with debutant Mayank Agarwal, before stitching up a dominant 170-run stand with Virat Kohli to seize the proceedings.

Pujara recorded a resilient hundred to stretch India's total while the then-Indian skipper also took down the Australian bowlers in his fashion. The partnership came to an end after Mitchell Starc dismissed Virat Kohli for 82 in the 123rd over, while Pujara also departed shortly after with a magnificent 319-ball marathon effort to his name.

The partnership was the backbone of India's first innings total as they posted 443-7 in the first innings. Bolstered by Jasprit Bumrah's heroics with the ball, the visitors claimed a famous win in the end.

#2 226 runs (IND vs ENG 2nd Test 2016 , Vishakapatnam)

England and India kick-started their 2016 series with a stalemate in Rajkot. After recording a ton on his home turf in the series opener, Pujara continued his rich vein of form by scoring another hundred in the first innings of the second Test in Vishakapatnam.

Pujara had to walk in early as KL Rahul was dismissed for a duck in the second over. Virat Kohli joined the crease soon after, with the score reading 22-2 as James Anderson and Stuart Broad made some early breakthroughs. However, the right-handed pair ensured India recovered and were in a dominant state after their colossal partnership for the third wicket.

Virat Kohli smashed 167 runs off 267 deliveries, while Pujara scored 119 off 204 deliveries. Their partnership came to an end in the 67th over as the latter nicked one to Jonny Bairstow off James Anderson's bowling. The 226-run effort ended up being almost half of India's first innings total of 455.

#1 222 runs (SA vs IND 2013; 1st Test, Johannesburg)

Cheteshwar Pujara had endured a horrid tour of South Africa in 2010, which was his first overseas tour. He scored only 31 runs in two Tests. However, by the time India's next tour of the Rainbow Nation arrived, the right-handed batter was not a newcomer anymore, but India's first-choice No.3 batter.

He was run out for 25 after facing 98 deliveries in the first innings as India put on 280 after batting first. With a slender lead of 36 runs, the Men in Blue had to put in a serious shift in the second innings.

Pujara walked in to bat in the eighth over of the innings after Shikhar Dhawan's dismissal, and put on an important partnership with Murali Vijay to see off the new ball. Virat Kohli made his way to the crease in the 34th over, and what followed was one of India's best partnerships in away Tests.

The duo played close to 60 overs to stretch India's lead significantly. Pujara scored 153 runs off 270 deliveries, which remains his joint second-highest score away from home. Virat Kohli missed out on a century by just four runs as well.