Cheteshwar Pujara had made his international debut for India under the captaincy of MS Dhoni.
Cheteshwar Pujara is emotional with the prospect of playing under MS Dhoni again after 7 years. Pujara was bought by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2021 auction, and CSK was the sole bidder for him.
CSK owner N Srinivasan had revealed they didn't want to see Pujara, whom he called a 'national hero', go unsold in the auction. The 33-year-old reacted to CSK owner's comment and said he feels privileged to be a part of the franchise.
"It is very kind of him to say that. I feel privileged to be part of such a franchise which respects the performance of the players for the national team.
"I am lucky that I will be playing under Mahi bhai who was my captain when I made international debut. And when Mr Srinivasan, who has been associated with cricket for a long time, says such things, it feels great. It is an emotional moment for me," Pujara, who has made his India debut under the captaincy of Dhoni, told Cricbuzz.
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Pujara is seen as a Test specialist but he wants to explore all the formats saying it's his love for cricket. The Saurashtra batsman also said it's difficult for him to evaluate himself as a T20 cricketer, but he's confident about doing good in this format.
"I don't overrate myself as a T20 player. I can't say where I stand as a T20 cricketer but as a cricketer, I am in much better space. Having played a lot of cricket at the international level, I am very confident I will do well in the shorter format too," he said.
He further added that being in this franchise is the best thing that happened to him. "I feel I am part of the right setup in the IPL. That is the best thing that could have happened to me. The franchise, its captain, and support staff..., there are many people who can guide me to do well. I also understand the game well now and I also know what to do in the IPL. I love playing cricket, I don't want to miss out on any format. I am glad that I am part of the IPL now and it can only help me grow as a cricketer".
Pujara was asked if he should have got more opportunities in ODI cricket, to which he replied, "That perception is there. When you are playing one format, you don't get enough opportunities in other platforms.
"I can't say on the World Cup. What I would say is that I got a few opportunities for the ODI team and then I was left out. If I had a longer run in the shorter format, I would have become a better ODI cricketer, without a doubt. By the way, all my ODI games were away from India."
(With Cricbuzz Inputs)