India Test discard works hard in the nets ahead of upcoming Ranji Trophy 2024-25 challenge [Watch]
Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara was seen putting in the hard work as he gets ready to represent Saurashtra in their upcoming 2024-25 Ranji Trophy match against Delhi, set to begin on Thursday, January 23, in Rajkot.
Saurashtra endured a disappointing first leg of the season and currently sit in sixth place on the Group D points table with 11 points, having won just one of their five games. On the other hand, Delhi occupy fourth place with 14 points from the same number of matches.
Meanwhile, veteran Indian batter Pujara had a mixed outing, featuring in four matches and scoring 269 runs at an average of 44.83. The 36-year-old impressed with a brilliant double-century, scoring 234 against Chhattisgarh. However, aside from that standout performance, his other innings were disappointing, with scores of 16, 0, 2, 3, and 14.
As he looks to bounce back ahead of the game against Delhi, the right-handed batter was seen fine-tuning his skills during an intense net session. Pujara shared a video of the session on X, captioning it:
“Ranji ready! #RanjiTrophy.”
In a boost for Saurashtra, veteran Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will be back in action for the team. His last appearance in the prestigious tournament was in January 2023, during a match against Tamil Nadu, where the 36-year-old scored 40 runs and took eight wickets. Meanwhile, Delhi will have wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant in action for their side.
Cheteshwar Pujara has scored 19 centuries for India in Tests
Cheteshwar Pujara made his Test debut for India against Australia in 2010 and quickly established himself as a key player in the team. The right-handed batter played several memorable innings, becoming the eighth Indian to score 7,000 Test runs.
However, his form waned, and Pujara has been absent from the national squad for over a year. His last appearance came during the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, where India lost by 209 runs.
In total, Pujara has featured in 103 Test matches for India, accumulating 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60, including 35 half-centuries and 19 centuries.