Cheteshwar Pujara

Full name Cheteshwar Arvind Pujara

Born January 25, 1988, Rajkot, Gujarat

Current age 25 years 129 days

Major teams India, India A, India Green, India Under-19s,Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Saurashtra,Saurashtra Under-16s, Saurashtra Under-19s

Playing role Batsman

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Legbreak

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	13	22	4	1180	206*	65.55	2242	52.63	4	3	145	2	10	0
First-class	79	130	23	6440	352	60.18			20	24			45	0
List A	61	61	13	2735	158*	56.97			8	17			23	0
Twenty20	34	26	4	426	51	19.36	407	104.66	0	1	51	6	14	0

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	13	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
First-class	79	10	153	83	5	2/4	2/4	16.60	3.25	30.6	0	0	0
List A	61	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Twenty20	34	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Recent matches

Bat & Bowl	Team	Opposition	Ground	Match Date	Scorecard
19	RCB	v Kings XI	Bangalore	14 May 2013	T20
5	RCB	v KKR	Ranchi	12 May 2013	T20
17	RCB	v Daredevils	Delhi	10 May 2013	T20
51	RCB	v Kings XI	Mohali	6 May 2013	T20
52, 82*	India	v Australia	Delhi	22 Mar 2013	Test # 2085
1, 28	India	v Australia	Mohali	14 Mar 2013	Test # 2081
204	India	v Australia	Hyderabad (Deccan)	2 Mar 2013	Test # 2076
44, 8*	India	v Australia	Chennai	22 Feb 2013	Test # 2074
37, 352	Saurashtra	v Karnataka	Rajkot	6 Jan 2013	FC
10, 203*	Saurashtra	v M. Pradesh	Rajkot	29 Dec 2012	FC

Profile

Cheteshwar Pujara's batting is a throwback to eras gone by, not so much in technique - he is unusually bottom-handed for someone who pays his bills through Test cricket - as in temperament. He steps down to spinners but keeps the ball along the carpet, he doesn't tire of scoring runs no matter the opposition or venue, his fitness is more about what is required for batting for long periods as opposed to bulging biceps with tattoos on them.

Son and pupil of former Ranji player Arvind, Pujara grew up piling on big scores even as a boy: a triple-century in Under-14 cricket, and a double against England in Under-19. Yet for years and years Pujara's first-class runs were scoffed at: he played for cricketing backwaters Saurashtra, and Rajkot, his hometown, is known for one of the flattest tracks in India. Pujara worked harder than most to be taken seriously, and his chance in Tests came in his sixth year in first-class cricket, behind contemporaries who had made a name through limited-overs cricket. Pujara grabbed the chance when it arrived: after getting out to a shooter in his first Test innings, he came in ahead of Rahul Dravid at No. 3 and waltzed his way to an excellent 72 in a tricky chase against Australia in Bangalore in October 2010.

Pujara had already scored a triple-century and two doubles before he made his Test debut, but after the debut he injured his knee during an IPL game, which kept him out for much of 2011. When Pujara came back to Test cricket, Dravid had retired, and he responded with centuries against all three touring sides that season: New Zealand, England and Australia, in the process becoming the joint-fastest Indian to 1000 Test runs in terms of Tests played to get there. In between he found enough time to rattle another domestic triple, but people were not scoffing any more.