Nagpur, Jan 21: Indian middle-order batting veteran Cheteshwar Pujara completed 20,000 runs in first-class cricket, becoming the fourth Indian batter to reach the mark.
Pujara accomplished this milestone during Saurashtra’s Ranji Trophy match against Vidarbha in Nagpur. In the match, Pujara had a solid outing. In the first innings, he scored 43 in 105 balls, with four boundaries and a six.
Later in the second innings, he scored 66 in 137 balls, with 10 boundaries. Saurashtra won the match by 238 runs. Now in 260 first-class matches, Pujara has scored 20,013 runs at an average of 51.98. He has scored 61 centuries and 78 fifties in this format, his best score is 352.
Above him in the list are legends like Rahul Dravid (23,794 runs), Sachin Tendulkar (25,396 runs) and Sunil Gavaskar (25,896 runs).
In 103 Tests for India, Pujara scored 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60, with 19 centuries and 35 fifties in 176 innings. His best score is 206*.
Pujara however, played his last Test for India in June 2023 against Australia, which was the ICC World Test Championship final in the UK. Since then, he has not been included in the Test squad, including for the home five-Test series against England from January 25 onwards.
Pujara made his first-class debut for Saurashtra in December 2005 and his Test debut for India in October 2010. He has also played five One-Day International (ODI) matches for India.
Pujara is known for his excellent batting technique and his ability to bat for long periods. He has scored over 6,000 runs in Test cricket, including 19 centuries and 31 half-centuries. He has also scored five double centuries, the most by any Indian batsman.
Pujara’s best performances have come in Test cricket, particularly against Australia.
He was one of the main reasons for India’s historic first-ever Test series win in Australia in 2018-19. He scored a double century in the first Test in Sydney and followed it up with centuries in the second and third Tests in Melbourne and Perth.
Pujara is currently ranked at number 12 in the ICC Test batting rankings.
He is a highly respected cricketer and is considered one of the best batsmen in the world.Cheteshwar Arvind Pujara is an Indian cricketer and the current captain of Sussex County Cricket Club in the County Championship. (PTI)
