With his 66th first-class century, Cheteshwar Pujara—one of the most reliable and disciplined batters in modern cricket—has once again cemented his place in the annals of the game. This accomplishment, which came on October 21, during the Ranji Trophy's second-round matchup with Chhattisgarh, highlights Pujara's unwavering commitment and unmatched talent in the red ball format.
Pujara surpassed Brian Lara
In the list of most First-Class hundreds, Pujara surpassed the legendary Brian Lara with this century. In the Ranji Trophy match's second round, the Indian batsman, who is not on the Test team at the moment, also reached 21,000 runs. Lara got 65 first-class tons to his name and now Pujara has taken his tally to 66.
Born in Rajkot, Gujarat, Pujara grew up in a family of cricket players. Cheteshwar's career in the game was set by his father Arvind Pujara and uncle Bipin Pujara, who both represented Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy. Since making his Saurashtra first-class debut in December 2005, Pujara has been a vital member of the team.
Pujara has accomplished many outstanding things in his domestic career. He has led Saurashtra in scoring on several occasions, most notably in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy, when he amassed 437 runs in just four games. The success of Saurashtra in domestic cricket has been greatly attributed to his ability to anchor the innings and score large hundreds. Notably, Pujara scored his 50th first-class century in the 2019–20 Ranji Trophy, demonstrating his durability and consistency.
In October 2010, Pujara made his Test debut in Bangalore against Australia, marking the start of his international career. He has now established himself as a vital member of the Indian Test side and is renowned for his methodical and patient batting approach. Pujara has flourished in the game's longest format because to this strategy, which is frequently referred to as a throwback to past periods of cricket.
