"Had I been picked by an IPL team, there were major chances that I wouldn’t have got any games" - Cheteshwar Pujara on his return to the Indian Test team 

Cheteshwar Pujara has said that he might not have played a game had he been picked by one of the teams as he returned to the Indian Test team.

After missing the home series against Sri Lanka , the right-handed batter enjoyed a stellar spell with Sussex in the ongoing County Championship. Amassing 720 runs in five games, including four centuries, Pujara regained his touch to make the team for the flight to England. India, leading the five-match Test series 2-1, will play the final Test in Birmingham on July 1.

The veteran's doors to the County Championship opened after he went unsold at the IPL 2022 auction. The 34-year-old was part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK)'s triumphant squad last year but failed to register an appearance.

Cheteshwar Pujara told the Indian Express that not getting selected for IPL 2022 proved to be a blessing in disguise. He said:

“You can say that now in hindsight. Had I been picked by an IPL team, there were major chances that I wouldn’t have got any games. I would have just gone (to nets) and practiced. Getting match practice and practice in the nets is always different. So when the county thing happened, I just said yes. The major reason I said yes to the county (stint) is that I wanted my old rhythm back.”

Pujara's stint in England could prove to be helpful for the final Test, which holds great importance in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

Click here to find out which is the next match in the IPL schedule 2022.

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"I was hopeful I will make a comeback to the Indian team" - Cheteshwar Pujara

The Saurashtra-born batter was last seen in national colors during the South Africa tour.

With only a solitary fifty in six innings, he registered a paltry 124 runs before getting dropped for the home series against Sri Lanka. In the absence of Pujara and Rahane, the middle-order spots were occupied by Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari.

Adding that regaining his rhythm was his priority during his short County stint, Cheteshwar Pujara said that he was also hopeful of an India comeback:

“I was positive; there was no doubt about it. The way my county stint went, I was hopeful that I will make a comeback to the Indian team. But when I went to play county cricket, the India comeback was never on my mind; I just wanted to find my rhythm, and I knew one big innings would help me find my rhythm back.”

India have named a solid squad for the Test against England. This will mark Rohit Sharma's maiden assignment as the team's permanent captain in overseas conditions.