Manjrekar asserted that had Cheteshwar Pujara toured England for the recent series, he might have scored a triple century given the conditions and the quality of the opposition’s bowling.
Manjrekar Reflects on Cheteshwar Pujara’s Career Struggles and Untapped Potential
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar highlighted the challenges Cheteshwar Pujara faced throughout his career, noting that life on the cricket field was far from easy. Pujara recently retired from all forms of Indian cricket, though some critics argued he deserved an extended run in Tests before being left out following the 2023 World Test Championship Final.
Even after being dropped from the national team, the talismanic batter continued playing domestic cricket for Saurashtra, consistently scoring runs. Despite his strong performances at the domestic level, the senior team selectors eventually chose to move on.
Manjrekar expressed that Pujara’s skill and temperament could have delivered remarkable results on challenging tours. “Had he gone to England this time around, the kind of bowling attack England had, the pitches that were there in that series, Pujara, even at this stage, would have ended up getting 300,” he said in a video posted on social media.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who made his international debut in 2010, went on to become one of India’s finest Test batters, accumulating 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60.
Sanjay Manjrekar highlighted the challenging phases of Pujara’s career while praising the 37-year-old for facing every obstacle with grace and determination.
“A couple of times, he was dropped from the Indian team, and one comeback he made was in Sri Lanka, coming back into the playing XI as an opener. And guess what he did? He batted right through the innings. That is Pujara for you—just unbelievable. A very likeable person, no matter what. The career wasn’t easy, and for a defensive batter, the kind of grappling he did, life was tough for him on the cricket field, but he always had this very pleasant smile on his face,” Manjrekar added.
‘Naam mein hi puja hai’
Sanjay Manjrekar paid a heartfelt tribute to Cheteshwar Pujara, praising his calm and composed batting style. He likened the former India batter to a monk at the crease, unfazed by challenges and treating every innings like a long prayer.
