Ex-IND Star's Take, Says Cheteshwar Pujara 'Overextended His Stay'

Sports Cricket

Posted by AI on 2025-09-01 19:13:37 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-02-17 09:18:36

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According to Robin Uthappa, Cheteshwar Pujara should have retired earlier than he did. Uthappa, a former India batter, expressed his opinion on the matter on Instagram. Pujara, according to Uthappa, overextended his stay, a notion that has been discussed widely since the 33-year-old announced his retirement from international cricket last week. "I feel he (Cheteshwar Pujara) overextended his stay a little bit, and he could have potentially retired a little earlier," Uthappa remarked on Instagram. "However, I guess it's to do with the right opportunities and the right kind of cushioning that you need to take that big step."

Pujara ended his seven-year stint in national colours last week, missing the cut for the Indian squad for the upcoming Test series against Australia. He stated that "it was a tough decision to make" but added that he looks forward to playing only for his franchise, Chennai Super Kings, in the IPL and county cricket for Yorkshire in the coming days.

Uthappa, who had 113 ODI appearances for India and scored a century at the World Cup in 2015, announced his own retirement from all forms of cricket in March 2021.

He remarked, "I think until you feel like you've not done enough and every time you come back to the country and you see the young guys coming in, that excitement, those aspirations that you had when you were a youngster, I think you still need to have that within you to want to achieve more and more."

Uthappa's comments come amid a national debate over the future of Test cricket in India. Several high-profile batters, including Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and Wriddhiman Saha, have struggled in recent times, and many have called for a changing of the guard.

The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia will be India's first under new leadership, as Rahane has been relegated to the bench. The series will also be India's first chance to redeem itself after its crushing defeat against Australia in the 2021 Test match at the Gabba in Brisbane, which concluded the historic tour.

With a fresh new team, this series may very well be the changing of the guard that India's Test side needs.

Despite the potential shift, Uthappa emphasized the importance of Pujara's contributions to Indian cricket over his career. "I think Cheteshwar Pujara has done enough," said Uthappa. "I think, in the early stages of your career, you want to play as many matches as you can, but eventually, there comes a stage where you feel like you've done enough, and you kind of move on."

Uthappa concluded by saying, "I'm sure he must have gone through those phases as well, and he could have potentially taken this decision a little earlier, but I think it's just his mindset, his process, and his trying to achieve a bit more."

At the end of the day, both players have immensely contributed to Indian cricket and will continue to be benchmarks for younger players to emulate.

Go!