India's Cheteshwar Pujara announces retirement from international cricket

The 37-year-old revealed in a statement released on Sunday that he would be stepping away from "all forms of Indian cricket", having last represented the national side back in 2023 during the Cricket World Cup.

Pujara joins a growing list of former India stars to retire from international cricket this year, alongside Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

"As a little boy from the small town of Rajkot, along with my parents, I set out to aim for the stars; and dreamt to be a part of the Indian cricket team," the statement read.

"Little did I know then that this game would give me so much - invaluable opportunities, experiences, purpose, love and above all a chance to represent my state and this great nation.

"Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field - it's impossible to put into words what it truly meant," Pujara wrote. "But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket.

"I would like to thank the BCCI and Saurashtra Cricket Association for the opportunity and support through my cricket career. Am equally grateful to all the teams franchises and countries I have been able to represent over the years.

"I wouldn't have made it this far without the invaluable guidance of my mentors, coaches and spiritual guru - to them I shall always remain indebted," the statement concluded.

Over 103 Tests for India that stretches across a 13-year period, Pujara scored 7195 runs at an average of 43.60 - including 35 half-centuries and 19 hundreds.

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