When India’s Cheteshwar Pujara hammered a 130-ball 102 against Bangladesh on Friday in the second innings of the first Test, he appeared to be in top form. After witnessing Pujara’s “fastest Test hundred ever,” fans and pundits began discussing the batter’s aggressive style of play, particularly in light of the upcoming IPL 2023 auction. Veteran Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, though, does not think Pujara is eager to participate in the T20 competition.
Pujara, who last had the chance to compete in the league known for its wealth back in 2014, hasn’t even signed up for this year’s auction. Karthik thinks that Pujara has established a niche for himself and that the seasoned batter is aware that the IPL isn’t his cup of tea.
“To be fair, I don’t think he has any keenness on playing in the IPL. He has tried over a period of time, and he realizes that it’s not his cup of tea. He is spending a lot of time during the summer in England, honing his skills and playing cricket. At this stage of his life, it’s not about trying to prove a point. It’s about where you enjoy playing, and where people enjoy the fact that I bat this way. He is very well aware of those answers, and that’s not the IPL for him,” said Karthik on Cricbuzz.
“That is going out in the summer and playing for England. He enjoys doing that. He takes his family along, and credit to him, as he has found a niche for himself there. That’s what you need to progress as a cricketer. When you realize there’s a battle you can’t win, you need to move on to another battle. And he has gone on to that path,” Karthik added. Pujara was a member of the Chennai Super Kings squad for the IPL 2021 season, although he was unable to participate in any of the team’s games.
