Had I been picked by an IPL team, there were major chances I wouldn’t have got any games – Cheteshwar Pujara on his return to Test team

India’s Test number three Cheteshwar Pujara was able to get back in the Test team after having an impressive stint with Sussex in County Championship. Pujara admitted that if he had been picked by an IPL team in the mega-auction, there were major chances he wouldn’t have got any games.

Pujara was picked by Chennai Super Kings in the previous season of the IPL but he didn’t receive any chance in the playing XI. On the other hand, Pujara found back his mojo while playing for Sussex in County Championship.

Pujara went on to score 720 runs in County Division two in five matches at an average of 120. The right-hander scored four successive centuries and batted at the top of his game. Thus, he is currently the third-highest run-getter in the County Division two.

As Pujara had not delivered the goods for the national team in the last two years, he was dropped from the two-match home Test series against Sri Lanka. But with his consistent performances in the County Championship, he was able to get back into the Test team for the one-off match against England.

Pujara said while talking to Indian Express, “You can say that now in hindsight. Had I been picked by an IPL team, there were major chances that I wouldn’t have got any games. I would have just gone (to nets) and practised. Getting match practice and practice in the nets is always different. So when the county thing happened, I just said yes. The major reason I said yes to the county (stint) is that I wanted my old rhythm back.”

Pujara added he was hopeful of making a return to the Indian team after performing well in the County for Sussex.

“I was positive; there was no doubt about it. The way my county stint went, I was hopeful that I will make a comeback to the Indian team. But when I went to play county cricket, the India comeback was never on my mind; I just wanted to find my rhythm, and I knew one big innings would help me find my rhythm back.”

India’s Test squad: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul (vc) Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohd Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.