Pujara's last ODI appearance came in June 2014.
Pujara has represented the country in 81 Tests, scoring 6111 runs at an impressive average of 47.74, including 18 hundreds and 28 half-centuries.
While Pujara boasts a great record in the familiar conditions of the sub-continent, he also had an invaluable contribution in India’s recent overseas success, especially in Australia where his 521 runs, including three centuries, gave the team its first-ever Test series victory Down Under in 2018-19.
Pujara replicated a similar success during the recently held Test tour of Australia, where he displayed amazing grit and resolve to amass 271 runs in India’s 2-1 series win.
Amid all the achievements in the longest format, Pujara hasn't given up on ODI plans even though his last 50-over appearance came in June 2014.
"I still have aspirations to play white-ball cricket for Team India, there's no doubt about that," he told Boria Majumdar on Sports Today's Youtube Channel.
While Pujara has represented the country in 5 ODIs, he is yet to play a T20 game for India. He admitted that not being part of the white-ball team and not featuring in IPL regularly left him short on match practice as India geared up for Australia tour.
"Yes, at the same time it becomes difficult when other guys are getting some match practice," he said, referring to his teammates’ participation in IPL 2020 in UAE.
"After the lockdown I didn't have any match practice before the Australia tour so to prepare for that big series it became a little difficult. Otherwise if there was no COVID then there would have been some first-class games which I would have played. But because of the COVID lockdown there were not many FC games which I could play. I only played 1 game (warm-up match) before the Test series started so as a batter it was difficult to gain the rhythm, concentration. Early on it was difficult but as I started playing few more games, it took me a couple of Test matches to find the right way (to bat in Australia)," the 33-year-old added.
During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21, Pujara struggled against the Aussie pacers in the first two Tests before he made a mark with his sheer determination.
"Credit also goes to the Australian team because they did a lot of homework on what I did on the last series there. It wasn't easy to break that gameplan but after a couple of Test matches I found my rhythm, concentration back, I trusted what I was doing and I was able to score runs in the last two Tests," he said.