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Cheteshwar Pujara was once considered by many as one of India's most reliable Test batters, but in the last few years has lost his regular place in the Playing XI before he decided to try his hand at County cricket. And the decision paid off in 2022, with his performances with Sussex earning him a return to the Playing XI.
He has been rewarded with the role of captain in the new season and repaid the faith with a brilliant century to rescue his side in their match against Durham. The veteran expressed his gratitude to the County Cricket Club, which, he believes helped him win his place back in the national team last year in 2022.
"It has (rejuvenated my career). If we look at last season, I was out of the Indian team and needed some runs to get back into the side. I got the right platform here, scored a few runs and got back into the team. There's nothing like playing for the Indian team but Sussex has given me that opportunity and I'll never forget that," said Pujara.
On his captaincy debut for Sussex against Durham in the second division of the County Championship, Pujara smashed a brilliant hundred, scoring 115 runs off 163 balls. His team were chasing a first-innings score of 376 runs but lost three early wickets before Pujara entered the fray. At the end of Day 2's play, they trail by just 44 runs, courtesy of Pujara's century and the prowess of his team's lower order.
This was his 57th century in First-Class cricket across 246 matches. He has over 18,000 runs in this format and is among the finest Test batters to still play the longest format of the game.
Pujara is also very fond of the environment at Sussex, which he believes is conducive to his growth and development. "The weather is much better here. The sun is out most of the time. The environment is really nice. If you look at the crowd, whenever they come, they support us. I feel whenever there is a young team, they are always motivated to keep working on their game, keep learning, and keep pushing themselves, and yes, I enjoy being in this environment," he added.
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