Cheteshwar Pujara reveals his future plan after sudden retirement, says 'only retired from cricket, I will be open to...'

India Test legend Cheteshwar Pujara, who announced his sudden retirement across all forms of Indian cricket, admitted about serving as a batting coach if the opportunity presents itself in the future.

After being ignored by the selectors for two years, Pujara, on August 24, announced his decision to retire from all formats of Indian Cricket. During his absence from the national squad, Pujara continued to grind in the domestic circuit and began a stint as a commentator. He was also seen doing commentary duties during the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 between India and England. Considering Pujara's experience and techniques in Test cricket, he could be the ideal choice for India's batting coach.

Pujara addressed the likelihood of him donning the coaching hat and said, while speaking to reporters, "I haven't thought about it yet, till now. I have only retired from cricket, so in the future I will be open to all the opportunities."

The Test legend made his international debut in 2010 and continued to put in the hard yards in the longest format of the game in the era of Payjama Cricket.

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Pujara announced his retirement after representing India in 103 Tests with 7,195 Test runs at 43.60, laced with 19 hundreds and 35 half-centuries during a journey that spanned over 15 years.

He also played a crucial role in India's first-ever Test series win in Australia. In his 1258-ball marathon, Pujara conjured 521 runs at 74.42 and topped the scoring charts in the series.

He shifted the momentum of the game, notching his maiden Test ton in Australia when India was dwindling at 19/3 in the series opener.

Pujara explained what prompted him to take the exit door and said, "This plan was going on for a week. I have not been a part of the Indian team for the last few years, but now I thought that this is the right time because young players have got an opportunity in domestic cricket, which is why I made this decision."

"When you take such a big decision, you take this decision only after talking to your family and your biggest players, so I consulted everyone, and then I decided that it is important to move on," he added.