FirstSports Exclusive: Cheteshwar Pujara reflects on WTC heartbreaks, BCCI's ban on families, and India comeback hopes

Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara recently spoke openly about different things related to his cricket career and personal life. He shared his thoughts on the BCCI’s recent rule that prevents players’ families from joining them during official tours. Pujara also talked about how tough it was to lose the World Test Championship finals in both 2021 and 2023.

In an interview with Firstpost, where he appeared along with his wife Puja to promote her new book ‘The Diary of a Cricketer’s Wife: A Very Unusual Memoir’, Pujara also opened up about his hopes of making a comeback to the Indian team. Though he hasn’t been part of the Indian squad for the last couple of years, Pujara said he is still hopeful about playing for India again.

Pujara on BCCI’s policy to ban players’ families

Addressing the BCCI’s restrictions on family members traveling with players during long tours, Pujara advocated for a balanced approach. He said that having loved ones around can be a key factor in maintaining players’ mental well-being during long international tours.

“I would say that families should be traveling. They should be with the players, the window. I mean, there are times where the families are there throughout the series. You as a player, you know, professionally, you want to be attending your practice sessions. So there has to be a window,” Pujara said.

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“Normally what most of the teams do is they have a window of two or three weeks in a long tour. So if you are going away from home for 40 days, there are three weeks where families can travel. So that’s the best way to balance it out, because there are times where coaching staff or the management feels that if the families are traveling, then players are not focused enough, which may not be the case,” he added.

“But just to balance it out, I think if you have a proper window where families can travel and at the same time, if you are going there early for preparation, then players are just focusing on the preparation part. And then when it starts you have to three weeks window where families can travel,” Pujara said.

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On back-to-back WTC losses

Pujara admitted that the 2021 WTC Final loss to New Zealand remains one of the lowest points of his career. Pujara stressed that cricket is a team sport and it is unfair to pin collective failures on individual players. He also revealed the emotional toll of losing not just in 2021 but again in the 2023 WTC final.

“For me, it was WTC final in 2021 that was probably the toughest time because there were so many things which were said after the final and also I personally, because I don’t play the white ball format. For me it was like a World Cup final. So I desperately wanted to contribute and I wanted the Indian team to win that game,” Pujara said.

“But unfortunately, we were on the losing side and there were a lot of things which were said in the public were the things which were said that I was the reason which wasn’t the case. When you are playing a team sport, it is always about the team. So you win as a team, you lose as a team, but both the times, even not just 2021, but even 2023 WTC final. Because when you get that opportunity, when you are playing just one format, that WTC final is the most important moment in our career and when you end up on the losing side, you feel really bad about it and to overcome that takes a lot of time,” he added.

Pujara on potential comeback

Despite not being in India’s current Test plans, the 36-year-old remains hopeful of a return, stating that his preparation and mindset haven’t changed. Pujara has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket and continues to ply his trade in English county cricket with Sussex.

“All I would say is that if I’m needed, I am ready. Whether will I get selected, I don’t know. Will I get an opportunity? I don’t know. Do I practice just because of that? I don’t think so. I just enjoy the game and I’m always trying my best, whatever level I’m playing. So the good part about my cricketing journey is that each and every match is important, whether I’m playing a district game, whether I’m playing a club game for Indian oil, whether I am playing a state game for Saurashtra or I’m playing county cricket, or if I am playing an international game. So every level I play, I try and make sure that I am giving my best. I am ready and my preparation doesn’t change at all. So that’s why I feel that whenever I get an opportunity, I am ready,” he said.