Cheteshwar Pujara says he will be open to possible coaching career

Cheteshwar Pujara reflects on his Test career, future plans, and the importance of classical Test match batting.

"He is one of the best Test batters we have currently in the squad...he is one of the most technically correct players in the Indian team. Also, it is good that he is opening the innings which is also setting the foundation for the entire team.

"We also saw that he performed well in Australia and then his form dipped a bit but now he is working on it...he is carrying on with his form, converting his starts into big scores which is a positive thing to see.

"Hope he carries on like that not just in Test cricket but in other formats as well," said Pujara.

Though Pujara last played for India in 2023, he remained an active cricketer featuring for Saurashtra in Ranji Trophy and county cricket. He was planning to play another domestic season when he was commentating on the game in England but he came back to Rajkot and took the call to move on.

"Slowly it is sinking in. But at the same time, I'm really overwhelmed with all the love and support provided by all the family members, friends and my teammates, the coaches I've worked with, the cricket fans," he said.

Was it the retirements of fellow seniors like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma that prompted Pujara to say goodbye to the game? "When I was in the UK, I was actually looking forward to the season. But once I came back home, I was settling in. And when I was about to start my preparation for the Ranji Trophy, I wanted to speak to my family, to my friends, some of my colleagues. What are their thoughts on me playing this season.

"Because I knew that if I played another season, I would be holding a spot in the team and I didn't want to do that. And I wasn't 100 per cent sure that I wanted to carry on playing the entire season.