Leaving Cheteshwar Pujara For BGT 2024-25 Was A Mistake For India? Various Views Of Former Selectors

Since the announcement of the Indian squad for the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, and especially after their two successive defeats in home Test matches, questions have grown over the non-selection of Cheteshwar Pujara for the five-match Test series in Australia. Different views have sparked the whole environment on the selection procedure.

The final red-ball game for Cheteshwar Pujara came against the same opponent at the Kennington Oval in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23, where he failed with scores of 14 and 27 beside his name. Overall, in 103 games, the batter has collected 7195 runs at an average of 43.60, shouldering on 19 centuries and 35 half-centuries.

The 36-year-old was one of the biggest reasons behind the two series win for the Blue Brigade down under. In the 2018/19 summer, he was the leading run-getter with 521 runs in seven innings at an average of 74.42, with the help of three centuries and one fifty.

Also Read: Potential Retirement U-turn Of David Warner Before BGT 2024-25? Australian Coach Reacts

Cheteshwar Pujara followed it up with better performances in the following season in 2020/21 when he managed to notch up 271 runs in eight innings at an average of around 34, thanks to his three half-centuries.

However, the recent few years haven’t been healthy with the bat for the Rajkot-born. He was part of five Test matches in the previous year, where he cracked only 181 runs in eight innings at an average of 25.86 and celebrated only one half-century. The year before that found him notching 409 runs in ten innings.

Different views spark discussion around the exclusion of Cheteshwar Pujara

But even in 2020 and 2021, Pujara was a combinedly part of 18 games where he smashed 865 runs at an average of around 24 with just seven half-centuries. That put pressure on the batter before he was dropped from the national side. However, a few injuries and some good performances in the domestic circuit pushed him to make a comeback in the side, along with Ajinkya Rahane.

Cheteshwar Pujara has enjoyed a good time in the longest format down under, where he has thumped 993 runs in 21 innings at an average of over 47 and a strike rate of 37.37, with the help of three centuries and five half-centuries at a best score of 193.

The former chief selector of the Indian men’s team, MSK Prasad, reckoned that the BCCI made a mistake by not bringing back their warrior for the upcoming series. He also remembered the double century the batter made last week in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25.

“Cheteshwar Pujara just scored a double hundred in the Ranji Trophy. He brings the experience and solidity that the Indian team requires in Australia. I feel, if they had to pick Nitish Reddy, you could have waited for at least one India A match and taken it from thereon.” The former wicket-keeper of India expressed to the PTI.

However, Vijay Dahiya has a different view of the entire scenario where he felt that the Blue Brigade should not go back to the veteran, having already decided to look ahead at the young middle order, which consisted of Sarfaraz Khan or Shubman Gill.

Also Read: Cheteshwar Pujara In Line For India Comeback As Squad For Australia Tour Likely On October 18- Reports

“Look, Pujara has been phenomenal for India but, with due respect, the double hundred came against Chhattisgarh, which doesn’t boast of a best domestic attack. It was a match where 1000 runs were scored, and both teams got a point.” Dahiya noted.

In the upcoming BGT 2024-25, Gill is expected to take the number three place of Cheteshwar Pujara, as the opening Test will begin on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth.