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India's veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara has announced his retirement from "all forms of Indian cricket". Pujara retires as India's eighth-highest run-scorer in Tests. The announcement came ahead of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season.
“Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field - it’s impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket,” Pujara wrote on his social media.
“Thank you for all the love and support!”
Pujara's full retirement statement
As a little boy from the small town of Rajkot, along with my parents, I set out to aim for the stars; and dreamt to be a part of the Indian cricket team. Little did I know then that this game would give me so much - invaluable opportunities, experiences, purpose, love, and above all a chance to represent my state and this great nation.
Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field - it's impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket.
I would like to thank the BCCI, and Saurashtra Cricket Association for the opportunity and support through my cricket career. Am equally grateful to all the teams, franchises and countries I have been able to represent over the years.
I wouldn't have made it this far without the invaluable guidance of my mentors, coaches and spiritual guru - to them I shall always remain indebted.
A big thank you to all my teammates, support staff, net bowlers, analysts, logistics teams, umpires, ground staff, scorers, media personnel and all those who tirelessly work behind the scenes to enable us to compete and play this game we love.
To my sponsors, partners and management team - I truly appreciate your loyalty and belief in me over the years, and for looking after my off-field activities.
The game has taken me to places across the globe - and the passionate support and energy of the fans has always been a constant. I have been humbled by the wishes and motivation wherever I have played and will always remain grateful.
And ofcourse none of all this would have been possible or meaningful without the innumerable sacrifices and steadfast support of my family - my parents, my wife Puja, my daughter Aditi; my in-laws and the rest of my extended family - who have made this journey truly worth it. I look forward to the next phase of my life, spending more time with and prioritizing them.
Pujara's career in numbers
Pujara made his Test debut in 2010 against Australia and registered a half-century in the second innings after a single-digit score in the first. Pujara's last Test appearance was in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final.
The 37-year-old has scored 7.195 runs from 103 Tests at an average of 43.60, including 19 centuries and 35 half-centuries. His highest score is 206 not out against England in 2012.
Pujara had a short ODI career. He played five ODIs and scored 51 runs. However, his List A career is impressive, scoring 5,759 runs from 130 games at an average of 57.01, featuring 16 centuries and 34 fifties.
He has played for three Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises -- Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). From 30 IPL games, he has scored 390 runs at an average of 20.52 and strike rate of 99.74. His solitary half-century came against PBKS in 2013 edition.
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