"This was my personal call" - Cheteshwar Pujara breaks silence after announcing retirement from all forms of cricket

Retired Indian Test cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara has opened up on the decision to quit all forms of cricket, revealing that it was his own decision to step away. The 37-year-old stated that he wished to play in the Ranji Trophy this year but decided that youngsters would be ready for the big stage sooner if they played in the premier first-class competition as earlier as possible.

Pujara drew curtains on his 13-year international career after 108 matches, 103 of which came in the Test arena. The dogged right-handed batter was a crucial cog in the wheel for India in their twin Test series victory in Australia in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 legs. He retires with 7195 Test runs at 43.60 alongside 19 centuries.

Speaking to Sports Tak, a few hours after announcing his retirement, Pujara revealed:

"This was my personal call and I decided that this is the right time, especially when young players should get opportunities in domestic cricket. Earlier I thought maybe I will play this Ranji season, but then I felt that if young players get the opportunity, they will be ready sooner. So this was my personal call. About the past few years when I wasn’t part of the Indian team, I don’t want too speak much."

The veteran hadn't played for India since the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in 2023 at The Oval. Although he was playing well in the domestic arena, the selectors had leaned in towards youngsters.

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"From about a week I thought a little that this is the right time" - Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara. (Image Credits: Getty)

Pujara went on to thank everyone that helped him in journey. He added that he felt privileged to have played for India for a long time, saying:

"See, I didn’t think much about it earlier. From about a week I thought a little that this is the right time. So today when I took this decision, it is quite a proud moment for me and for my whole family. On this day, I want to thank all my teammates, my coaches and all the support staff I worked with, because this is a proud moment for me. Representing the Indian team, from childhood, when I was small, it was always a dream to play for India. When that dream got completed and for so many years this journey went on, we created so many memories, so there are many proud moments in my career till now."

Having started his journey as an analyst recently, Pujara could now be seen in that role more in the coming years.