The Indian veteran and Saurashtra batter Cheteshwar Pujara has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Pujara has been one of the stalwarts of the Indian red-ball side, who has created a long-standing legacy for himself, batting at No.3 for India.
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He is the only Indian batter to face over 500 balls in a single innings in Test cricket for India.
Cheteshwar Pujara announces retirement from all forms of cricket
Known for his grit, determination, patience, and the ability to play marathon knocks, Pujara was one of those batters who used to drain out bowlers by batting out session after session.
At 37, Pujara called time to his illustrious cricketing career, finishing as one of the greatest No.3 batters for India in the longest format. The legendary batter finished with 7195 runs in 103 matches at an average of 43.60.
Cheteshwar Pujara's Test career stats:
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | SR | 50s | 100s | HS |
| 103 | 176 | 7195 | 43.60 | 44.36 | 35 | 19 | 206* |
"Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field - it's impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude, I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket," Pujara wrote in a post on X.
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Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field - it’s impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude, I have decided to retire from all forms of… pic.twitter.com/p8yOd5tFyT
— Cheteshwar Pujara (@cheteshwar1) August 24, 2025
Key highlights of Pujara's Test career
A career that spanned over 15 long years saw a total of nineteen centuries and thirty-five half-centuries, and also included three double centuries.
Pujara's career-defining series came in the 2018-19 Tests against Australia, away from home, where he scored 521 runs and single-handedly helped India achieve a historic series win, their first over the Aussies in Australia.
The veteran batter faced a total of 1258 balls in that series and trounced the Aussie bowling lineup. Pujara has been a part of two series wins in Australia, which is still a dream for many cricketers.
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His marathon knock of 202 off 525 balls against Australia in Ranchi, where he batted for more than 11 years, is one of the key highlights of his cricketing career. The Indian veteran became the only Indian batter to bat for over 500 balls in a single innings in a Test. It was also his slowest double-ton.
The Indian legend also represented India in the white-ball format, featuring for the Men in Blue in just 5 ODIs throughout his career.