Team India's batter Cheteshwar Pujara announced on Wednesday that he will be leading Sussex in the County Championships in the upcoming season. Pujara, who remains an integral part of the Indian Test team, had played for Sussex in the previous season as well, and was one of their star performers. In 8 matches, Pujara scored 1,094 runs, and had further led the side in the one-day cup as well.
“Thrilled to lead @sussexccc in the County Championship! Let's go,” Pujara tweeted.
The Indian batter had joined Sussex last year when he was dropped from the Indian Test team for the two-match series against Sri Lanka in February. However, consistent performances for the County side earned him a comeback in the side. Last month, Pujara played in his 100th Test during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Delhi. He became the 13th Indian to reach the mark in the longest format of the game.
{{/usCountry}}The Indian batter had joined Sussex last year when he was dropped from the Indian Test team for the two-match series against Sri Lanka in February. However, consistent performances for the County side earned him a comeback in the side. Last month, Pujara played in his 100th Test during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Delhi. He became the 13th Indian to reach the mark in the longest format of the game.
{{/usCountry}}Last month, the BCCI had announced their annual player contracts where Pujara was placed in Group B, alongside KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj, Suryakumar yadav and Shubman Gill.
Pujara will be key to India's chances in the final of the World Test Championship, that takes place between June 7-11 in London. The Indian team had qualified for the final after a 2-1 win over the Aussies in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last month.
The Oval will host the blockbuster title clash between India and Australia, as the Rohit Sharma-led side chases a maiden title-win in the tournament. In the previous edition, India had faced a defeat in the final against New Zealand in Southampton.
A majority of Indian cricketers, meanwhile, are currently taking part in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League, which will finish on May 28.