Cheteshwar Pujara Retirement: India's senior batter Cheteshwar Pujara called time on his illustrious career on Sunday, having played a total of 103 Tests for the national team. He came up with the announcement through an emotional post on social media.

The decision to retire was not entirely surprising, considering the team's two other stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, said goodbye to Test cricket ahead of the England tour earlier this year.

With 7195 runs at an average of 43.60, Pujara stands in eighth place in the all-time leading run-getters from India. He also amassed 21301 runs in first-class cricket.

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Pujara was the backbone of India's Test batting setup for over a decade and played a key role in the team's emergence as one of the incredible teams in the world. On the back of his impactful performances, India won back-to-back Test series on Australian soil. Pujara, who has been out of the Indian setup since 2024, expressed his gratitude to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Saurashtra Cricket Association as he steps away from the crease.


Cheteshwar Pujara Career Stats

During his 13-year-long and impressive career, Pujara scored 7195 runs in 103 Tests at an average of 43.6, including 19 centuries.

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His defining chapter came during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he amassed 521 runs, including a marathon 211 not out in Sydney that secured a series victory against Australia. Pujara joined an elite group of 15 Indian players to exceed 100 Test caps.


Cheteshwar Pujara Numbers and Achievements

Test Matches: 103

Test Innings: 176

Test Runs: 7,195

Test Batting Average: 44.37

Test Hundreds / Fifties: 19 / 35

Highest Test Score: 206

Balls Faced in Tests: 16,217

First-Class Matches: 278

First-Class Runs: 21,301

First-Class Average: 51.83

First-Class Centuries / Fifties: 66 / 81


Major Achievements & Records

Fastest Indian to reach 1,000 Test runs in just 11 matches (18th Test innings).

Most balls faced by an Indian in a single Test innings: 525 balls.

Most double centuries by an Indian in first-class cricket (12 double centuries).

One of the only nine batsmen to have scored three career first-class triple centuries (302*, 352, 306*).
Scored 1,605 runs in the 2016-17 Indian first-class season; broke a record standing since 1964-65.
Career-high Test ranking of No. 2 after a double century in Australia in 2017.

Part of India’s highest 2nd innings partnership in South Africa: 222 runs with Virat Kohli.

Slowest recorded Test half-century for India (196 balls).

Awarded Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2013.