On paper, veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara is an Indian Premier League winner. However, on the very same paper, he hasn’t played an IPL match since 2014. Regarded as one of India’s best red-ball batters, Pujara once revealed how excelling in the same format was a chief reason behind him remaining unsold in IPL auctions for six seasons in a row.
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After him not finding a buyer between 2015-2020, Chennai Super Kings surprised everyone by grabbing Pujara for his base price of INR 50 lakh during IPL 2021 auction. Super Kings, who wanted to reward the right-handed batter for his gritty performances during Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21 down under, were applauded by everyone in the auction room after a successful bid.
K Viswanathan, CSK’s CEO, had revealed after the auction that they bought Pujara not only to honour him, but because they believed that he could adapt to any format because of his brilliant technique.
“See, we also wanted to honour him, that’s for sure. But at the same time, I can tell you one thing, a person of his calibre with such good technique, he can adapt to any format,” K Viswanathan was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
5 Months Before MS Dhoni-Led CSK Bought Him For INR 50 Lakh, Cheteshwar Pujara Had Blamed ‘Test’ Perception Behind Unsold Tag For 6 Years
While Pujara never got affected by the “unsold” tag for he wasn’t the first high-profile cricketer to not allure a bidder in the biggest T20 tournament around the world, he had expressed a longing to play in the cash-rich league some five months before the auction for the 14th season.
In a conversation with PTI, Pujara had cited the example of former South Africa captain Hashim Amla as even he remained unsold despite scoring a couple of centuries in IPL 2017. Pujara further insisted that he had performed well in white-ball formats in domestic cricket but has been overlooked because of his reputation.
“I would say yes, it’s a perception being tagged as a Test player and I can’t do much about it. I have always said that I should get opportunities and once I get opportunities, then only I can prove myself as a white-ball cricketer. I have performed well in List A cricket, also in domestic T20s. I have done well in List A games in England.”
Not just the IPL but these perceptions have also not allowed Pujara to play more than five ODIs despite terrific List A numbers. For the unversed, Pujara’s 5,638 runs in the format have come at an average of 57.53 thus far.
Even CSK CEO Had Assured A Specific Role For Cheteshwar Pujara In IPL 2021
Ahead of IPL 2021, Viswanathan had even jotted down a role for Pujara at the top of the order. He mentioned that the right-handed batter would be an important part of the side. However, Pujara didn’t get to play a single match throughout the season before being released before the next season.
“He will certainly have a role to play [up the order], but I cannot say whether he will play the first game or the second game. That is not the question [also]. He is an important part of our group and we look forward to his contribution.”
Pujara didn’t get a game because Chennai are known for not making too many changes to their Playing XI in a season. With the likes of Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu and Moeen Ali the main batting pillars of their IPL 2021 squad, it was always going to be difficult for Pujara to find a spot. While CSK decided to drop vice-captain Suresh Raina for the last four matches, he was replaced by Robin Uthappa.
