Cheteshwar Pujara realises that IPL is not his cup of tea, feels Dinesh Karthik

Cheteshwar Pujara has grabbed the headlines recently as he slammed a 130-ball 102 in the second innings of the first Test against Bangladesh. It was his fastest Test hundred and the knock displayed the batter’s ability to play in an aggressive manner. Pujara’s aggressive knock got a few of the experts talking about his ability to attack especially in reference to the upcoming IPL mini-auction. However, India’s veteran batter hasn’t registered for the bidding process and Dinesh Karthik backed his decision saying Pujara has realized that the IPL is not 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 do 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.

Pujara was a part of the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2021 but warmed the bench throughout the tournament. However, he has preferred to play in the County Championship and Royal One Day Cup in the last couple of years. Karthik explained that Pujara enjoys playing in the conditions and it helps him hone his skills. 

"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 other battles. And he has gone on to that path," he explained.