Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara

Personal information
Full name	Cheteshwar Arvind Pujara
Born	25 January 1988 (1988-01-25) (age 23) Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Nickname	Chintu
Batting style	Right-handed
Bowling style	Right arm Leg spin
Role	Batsman
Relations	AS Pujara (father), BS Pujara (uncle)
International information
National side	India
Only Test (cap 266)	9 October 2010 v Australia
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2008-2010	Kolkata Knight Riders
2005–present	Saurashtra
Career statistics
Competition	Tests	First-class	List A	Twenty20
Matches	3	56	50	25
Runs scored	107	4,130	2,078	304
Batting average	21.40	55.81	53.28	21.71
100s/50s	–/1	14/15	6/13	0/0
Top score	72	302*	122*	45*
Balls bowled	–	153	–	–
Wickets	–	5	–	–
Bowling average	–	16.60	–	–
5 wickets in innings	–	0	–	–
10 wickets in match	–	0	–	–
Best bowling	–	2/4	–	–
Catches/stumpings	6/–	33/–	16/–	10/–
Source: ESPNCricinfo, 8 October 2011

Cheteshwar Arvind Pujara (born 25 January 1988, in Rajkot, Gujarat) is an Indian Test cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman. Pujara has the distinction of hitting three triple centuries within a span of one month, although only the last of these was in a first-class match. In December 2008, the BCCI awarded him a D-grade national contract. In the Indian Premier League, he plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore.Cheteshwar was first coached by Shlok Sayani when he played for railways.

Pujara captained the India A team on a tour to England during the 2010 northern hemisphere summer and was the most prolific scorer on that tour. He is currently competing with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Subramaniam Badrinath, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Manoj Tiwary for a spot in the middle order of the Indian Test team. He has scored 3 triple centuries prior to 2009.

Test debut

Pujara was selected for the Indian squad for the home Test series (2-match series) against Australia in 2010, replacing Yuvraj Singh who has been struggling with form and weight issues. He made his debut in the Second Test of the series on 9 October 2010 at Bangalore after both Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman were down with injuries sustained in the First Test. While Laxman was off the field injured in the First Test, Pujara took two catches at silly point as a substitute. Pujara's first Test innings was short however as he scored four runs but was adjudged leg before wicket to Mitchell Johnson on the third ball he faced.

In the second innings, with India needing 207 to win, he made 72 before being bowled by an arm ball from Nathan Hauritz. In the second innings, Pujara was sent up the order at number three in place of Rahul Dravid in a tactical change as India went on to win the test by seven wickets. 9 October, the start of his Test debut, was the fifth anniversary of his mother's death due to cancer.

References

• World Cup 2007 updates from Rajkot City Guide
• Player profile at Cricinfo
• A talent for tomorrow
• Phenomenal Pujara knocks on Team India's door
• Pujara wants to take tips from Dravid
• Pujara replaces Yuvraj for Australia Tests

Persondata
Name	Pujara, Cheteshwar
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1988-01-25
Place of birth	Rajkot, Gujarat
Date of death
Place of death