Cheteshwar Pujara's century in the first Test against Bangladesh may have come at an opportune time, with the IPL 2023 auction approaching, but the batter chose not to be part of the auction this year and Dinesh Karthik believes the senior batter has realised he is better off not playing in IPL.
Pujara ended his long wait for a three-figure score, as the right-hander smashed a brilliant 102* off 130 balls laced with 13 fours to help Team India declare their second innings at 258/2 against Bangladesh in the ongoing first Test in Chattogram.
While Pujara is not part of the IPL 2023 mini-auction, which will be held in Kochi on December 23, Karthik feels the Test specialist seems to have moved on from the thought of playing in the IPL.
Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz: “To be fair, I don't think he has any keenness on playing in the IPL. He has tried over a period of time, and he realises that it's not his cup of tea. He is spending a lot of time during the summer in England, honing his skills and playing his cricket.
At this stage of his life, it's not about trying to prove a point. It's about where do you enjoy playing, and where do people enjoy the fact that I bat this way. He is very well aware of those answers, and that's not the IPL for him.”
Karthik signed off by saying, “That is going out in the summer and playing for England. He enjoys doing that. He takes his family along, and credit to him, as he has found a niche for himself there. That's what you need to progress as a cricketer. When you realise there's a battle you can't win, you need to move on to other battle. And he has gone on to that path.”
