"They don't make people like him anymore" - Aakash Chopra on Cheteshwar Pujara's legacy

Former India player Aakash Chopra has lauded Cheteshwar Pujara for his glorious contribution to Indian cricket. He noted that players with the same grit, determination, and fighting spirit aren't around anymore.

Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket on Sunday, August 24. The 37-year-old amassed 7195 runs at an average of 43.60 in 103 Tests and scored 51 runs at an average of 10.20 in five ODIs.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener highlighted Pujara's unique attributes that define his legacy.

"Cheteshwar Pujara, dependable Pujara, a lot of grit and determination, the fighting spirit. You get him to do any job and he would do it laughing. They don't make people like him anymore. Players like him don't come now. A glorious chapter in Indian and international cricket has ended with Puji," Chopra said.

"It was a pleasure, honor, and privilege to play against and alongside you. The team always came first and he would do anything. He will go through a wall, and he will be the wall. The longest Test knock for India has come from Pujara's bat. He has batted on all five days of a Test match," he added.

Chopra pointed out that Pujara had a significant role in Virat Kohli's Test success.

"The best of Sachin Tendulkar came when Rahul Dravid was at his best. The same is true for Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli. You will find that Virat Kohli's best in Test cricket were the years when Cheteshwar Pujara was at his very, very best. At times, the No. 3 needs to provide a shield for the No. 4 to perform. You make that marriage happen," he elaborated.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli scored 3513 runs at an average of 43.37 in 83 Test innings as a pair. The duo stitched together seven century and 18 half-century partnerships.

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"The first time you won BGT was on the back of his performances" - Aakash Chopra on Cheteshwar Pujara's run-scoring spree in BGT 2018-19

Cheteshwar Pujara was the Player of the Series in BGT 2018-19. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Cheteshwar Pujara had a massive role in India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2018-19 win.

"We keep praising India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy wins. The first time you won BGT was on the back of his performances. He scored nearly 600 runs and you could win because of that. Yes, it's about taking 20 wickets, but it is also about batting time. If you bat for five sessions, you grind the opposing team into the ground, and that's what Pujara did. The 2018-19 series you won was Pujara's series," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Pujara made crucial contributions with the bat during India's BGT 2020-21 triumph as well.

"After that, when you won again, he was there too. Maybe not at his best in that series, but he was scoring fifties and fighting. There was no part of the body that didn't get injured. He didn't give up, he didn't give in, he didn't back out, and that is what defines Pujara. He said, 'I am standing between you and my country'. There was talk in Australia that they had seen more of Pujara than their partners," Chopra observed.

Cheteshwar Pujara amassed 521 runs at an average of 74.43 in seven innings in India's 2-1 win in BGT 2018-19. He scored 271 runs at an average of 33.88 in eight innings in India's win by the same margin in BGT 2020-21.