"Hope the modern-day wall will take back his position in the team" - Fans erupt as Cheteshwar Pujara slams 62nd first-class century in Ranji Trophy

Cheteshwar Pujara starred with the bat for Saurashtra against Rajasthan on Day 1 of the ongoing Ranji Trophy match in Jaipur on Friday (February 9).

The right-handed batter slammed his 62nd first-class century to continue his impressive showing in the ongoing edition of the tournament. He scored 110 runs off 230 balls in an innings laced with nine boundaries. The knock came in when his team was struggling at 33/2.

With the ton, the Saurashtra batter also became the leading run-scorer in the ongoing edition of the tournament. He now has scored 732 runs in 10 innings.

Pujara had earlier smashed 243* against Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy. The 36-year-old also recently completed 20,000 runs in first-class cricket, becoming only the fourth Indian after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar to achieve the feat.

Fans on X (formerly Twitter) came up with mixed reactions to Cheteshwar Pujara’s century. One user wrote:

"Hope the Modern day wall will take back his position in the team."

Here are some more reactions:

Cheteshwar Pujara had earlier scored 649 runs in 12 innings at an average of 54.08 for Sussex in the 2023 County Championship Division Two last season.

---

“Don’t forget Cheteshwar Pujara is waiting” – When Ravi Shastri warned Shubman Gill in IND vs ENG 2nd Test

Former India cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri recently warned Shubman Gill for his lean patch in Tests. The cricketer-turned-commentator lauded Pujara for grinding in the domestic circuit to try and find his way back into the India Test squad.

Shastri said on-air during the Vizag Test, as quoted by India Today:

“It's a fresh side, a young side. These youngsters have to prove themselves. Don't forget, Pujara is waiting. He is grinding it out at the Ranji Trophy and is always in the radar.”

Gill, however, smashed 104 in the second innings against England in the Vizag Test to cement his place in the side.

Cheteshwar Pujara played his last Test against Australia in the 2023 World Test Championship final. The right-handed batter returned with scores of 14 and 27 as India lost the game by 209 runs. He was then axed from the India squad for the two-match Test series in West Indies.

India captain Rohit Sharma (15 & 43), Shubman Gill (13 & 18) and Virat Kohli (14 & 49) had also failed in the WTC final but retained their spots in the format.