Cheteshwar Pujara, one of India’s most celebrated Test cricketers, has officially announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on August 24, 2025. Pujara made this emotional announcement through a post on social media, expressing immense gratitude to his family, teammates, coaches, and fans for their unwavering support throughout his career.
“Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field. it’s impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket”.
Records and Stats
His last appearance for India came in the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval in June 2023.
| Format | Matches | Runs | HS | Bat Avg | 100s | 50s | Strike-rate |
| Test | 103 | 7,195 | 206 | 43.61 | 19 | 35 | 44.37 |
| ODIs | 5 | 51 | 27 | 10.2 | 0 | 0 | 39.24 |
| IPL | 30 | 390 | 51 | 20.53 | 0 | 1 | 99.75 |
Test Double Hundreds: 3
Known for his resilience, technique, and calm demeanor at the crease, Pujara was often regarded as the backbone of India’s Test batting lineup, particularly in challenging overseas conditions.
Notable Achievements and Records
- Man of the Match Awards: 6 (Tests)
- Man of the Series Awards: 2
Faced more than 16% of all deliveries bowled to India during his tenure; nearly 30% of India’s runs were scored with him at the crease.
Time at the Crease: Averaged 124.14 minutes per Test innings, third among modern Indian greats after Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.
Key Series: Played a pivotal role in India’s historic Test series wins in Australia, notably the 2018–19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring 521 runs including a crucial double century in Sydney.
Some Unique Records
- Only Indian batter to face 500+ balls in an innings
- Second fastest Indian to 1,000 Test runs
- Highest second innings score by an Indian in South Africa (153)
- Has batted on all five days of a Test, among a handful of players globally
- Eleventh Indian to reach 6,000 Test runs
- Fourth Indian to cross 20,000 first-class runs
The decision follows a period of being consistently overlooked for selection in the national team, as the selectors began focusing on younger talent. Pujara’s legacy includes pivotal roles in many of India’s historic Test victories, most notably the maiden Test series win in Australia in 2018-19, where he was named Player of the Series.
His retirement marks the end of an era for Indian Test cricket, and he will be remembered as one of the most dependable and respected No. 3 batsmen India has ever produced.