Pujara admitted that doing well in IPL and other tournaments are necessary in changing times.
Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara gave his honest opinion on the change in selection policies in Indian cricket and stated that youngsters need to focus on all three formats of the game and not just the multi-day format.
Pujara retired from all cricket recently, having played 103 Tests and five ODIs for India, and has given one key piece of advice to cricketers of the next generation—to not focus solely on Test cricket, but also on white-ball cricket.
Even in the Test format, Pujara has acknowledged that to make the Indian squad, one must perform well in competitions such as the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"Honestly, I wouldn't recommend any of the young players to just focus on the Test format because times are changing. Test cricket is not going anywhere; it is going to survive. But for a young player to get picked in Test matches, you need to perform well either in the IPL or in India's T20I and ODI squads. If you are not a good white-ball player, then the chances of getting into the Test team are very limited," Pujara told India Today.
Pujara is renowned for not having a dazzling IPL career, in contrast to several of Team India's contemporary stars. Throughout his career, Pujara made just 30 IPL appearances, none since 2014, and he frequently went unsold at auction. He was part of the 2021 IPL-winning CSK team but didn’t play any matches.
"There might be exceptions—an exceptional player from the Ranji Trophy might be picked—but such cases are rare. You need to be outstanding in the Ranji or Duleep Trophy to make it to the Test squad. The easier route, though, is through white-ball formats.
The white-ball game is popular, and one needs to adapt to what lies ahead. The future is definitely white-ball cricket alongside Test matches," he added.
Pujara, despite boasting of a brilliant List-A record, only managed five ODIs for India and no T20Is.
"I would recommend a young player to aim to play all three formats. I missed out on the others, and I wouldn't recommend anyone else to make that choice. They should still aspire to play Test cricket—that's the ultimate format. If you are seeking respect and want to be regarded as the best cricketer, then you not only need to play but also excel in red-ball cricket," Pujara concluded.