Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
'He'll be part of dressing room, don't see him in CSK first-XI in IPL 2021': Pragyan Ojha on Cheteshwar Pujara
Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha, however, believes Cheteshwar Pujara will have to wait longer for his return to the Indian Premier League as he doesn’t see the right-hander making it to the CSK XI in the first phase of IPL 2021.
There was a round of applause in the auction table for Cheteshwar Pujara after Chennai Super Kings picked him up at his base price of ₹50 lakh earlier this year. India’s Test No.3 had found an IPL team after seven long years. The last time Pujara played the IPL was in 2014 and since then the right-hander has been going unsold in every auction barring this one.
Pujara’s wait to return to the IPL will come to an end on April 9 when the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League begins. CSK, however will play their first match on April 10 against last year’s runner-up Delhi Capitals.
Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha, however, believes Pujara will have to wait longer as he doesn’t see the right-hander making it to the CSK XI in the first phase of IPL 2021.
Also Read | 'Seems to be a mid-table team': Aakash Chopra predicts RR's future in IPL 2021
“I don't see Pujara in the CSK first-XI, he will be part of the dressing room but I don’t see him in the first XI. Maybe he can be a replacement for somebody later on in the tournament but he won’t start,” Ojha told Sports Today.
Pujara has so far played only 30 matches in the IPL scoring only 390 runs at an average of 20.52. His strike rate of 99.74 is however the biggest worry.
Ojha believes Pujara, despite being one of the top Test batsmen going around, Pujara will find it difficult in the IPL as the challenges of T20 cricket are different.
“Pujara is a brilliant batsman, any format you talk about he has the skill and the temperament to play. He can perform, he's got the ability. But when we talk about T20 cricket, it is far away from Tests. You have to be very fit; the challenges are different on the field. That will be a challenge for Pujara.
The former spinner who has shared the dressing room with Pujara while playing for India, did not forget to add that Pujara’s return to IPL is an inspirational tale for all youngsters.
“I'm very happy for him. He's got his chance after 7 years so this itself is an inspirational tale for all the youngsters that you never lose hope, things will change around,” Ojha said.
