'Cheteshwar Pujara's career wasn't easy, life was tough…': Sanjay Manjrekar's earnest reflection on veteran's retirement

Manjrekar claimed that had Pujara toured England for the recent series, he could've scored a triple century given the conditions and the hosts’ bowling attack.

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar shed light on Cheteshwar Pujara's struggles in his career and said that life wasn't easy for him on the cricket field. Pujara recently announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket, though some critics felt he deserved an extended run in Tests before being left out following the 2023 World Test Championship Final. The talismanic batter continued to play domestic cricket for Saurashtra after being dropped from the Indian team, consistently piling up runs. Despite his strong performances at the domestic level, the senior team selectors ultimately chose to move on from him.

Sanjay Manjrekar heaped massive praise on Cheteshwar Pujara. (X and AP Images)

Manjrekar asserted that if Pujara had travelled to England for the recently concluded series, he could have scored a triple century, considering the conditions and quality of the hosts' bowlers.

"Had he (Cheteshwar Pujara) 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," Manjrekar said on a video he posted on social media.

Pujara made his international debut in 2010. He went on to become one of the best Test batters in Indian cricket history, racking up 7,195 Test runs at an average of 43.60.

Manjrekar emphasised on the tough phases in Pujara's career as he lavished praise on the 37-year-old for handling every challenge with a smile.

“A couple of times, he was dropped from the Indian team, and one comeback that he made was in Sri Lanka, and he had to come 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 that he did, life was tough for him on the cricket field, but he always had this very pleasant smile on his face,” he added.

‘Naam mein hi puja hai’

Manjrekar went onto pay a heartfelt tribute to Pujara, describing his calm and composed batting style as meditative, even likening him to a monk at the crease, unfazed by challenges and treating every innings like a long prayer.

"Naam mein hi puja hai (There is prayer in the name itself). Every time he was out on the cricket field and batting, especially, it seemed like ek lambi puja woh kar raha hai (he is doing a long prayer). It was like he was meditating with the bat in hand. I often called him a monk who likes to bat because it seemed like nothing rattled him," he added.