Out-of-favour Cheteshwar Pujara knocks on selectors' doors again with 66th first-class hundred to complete 21,000 runs in format

Veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara continues to pile on runs in domestic cricket. After a disappointing outing in Ranji Trophy 2024-25 campaign opener against Tamil Nadu, Saurashtra batter scored a century against Chattisgarh in the ongoing clash. This was Pujara’s 66th first-class hundred. He also completed 21,000 runs in first-class cricket. 

On October 21, Pujara completed his century from 197 balls batting in his traditional style. His 25th Ranji Trophy ton came in reply to Chattisgarh’s mammoth first innings total of 578/7. This was also Pujara's sixth first-class hundred of the calendar year.

Pujara chasing legends in these lists

Pujara is only behind three Indian batters on the list of most first-class centuries. The next on the list is Rahul Dravid with 68 centuries. The top spot is shared by Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar who have 81 centuries each.

Pujara is also fourth on the list of Indians with most runs in first-class cricket. Gavaskar is at the top with 25,834 runs followed by Tendulkar (25,396 runs) and Dravid (23,794 runs).

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Meanwhile, he is only second on the list of batters with most first-class runs on Indian soil. The first spot belongs to Wasim Jaffer with 14,609 runs. Pujara needs more than thousand runs to dethrone Jaffer on Indian soil. 

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Absence from Test squad

As Shubman Gill is yet to regain full fitness after complaining of stiffness in neck, the selectors roped in Washington Sundar who scored 152 in the ongoing Ranji game. Sundar played his last Test in 2021 against England. 

Meanwhile, Pujara has run out of favours with the selectors. He was dropped from the side after India’s defeat in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final against Australia. At the Kenningon Oval, he registered scores of 14 and 27 as India lost the Test by a massive margin of 209 runs.

Similarly, the selectors have moved on from Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane as well. Rahane played his last Test on West Indies tour. The 36-year-old is unlikely to make a comeback as India have several contenders for the middle-order.