Cheteshwar Pujara feels 'no pressure' to be like Virender Sehwag or David Warner

Cheteshwar Pujara may be a purist's delight but to the average cricket fan, the Saurashtra batsman has drawn some flak in recent years. Last week, Pujara played a vital 66-run innings in the Ranji Trophy final which helped the team get its first-ever Ranji Trophy title. The critical analysis of Pujara's innings on social media, however, was that the batsman from Saurashtra took way too many balls (237) to score 66 runs.

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Cheteshwar Pujara feels no pressure to bat like Virender Sehwag or David Warner

While many fans might cite the pace that batsmen like Virender Sehwag or David Warner can bring to any format of the game, Cheteshwar Pujara maintains that it is completely normal for a batsman to play the game at the pace they find natural. Talking to PTI, Pujara candidly said that "I know I can't be a David Warner or Virender Sehwag but if a normal batsman takes time there is nothing wrong in that."

The batsman, who remains a mainstay in the Indian Test batting lineup, mentioned how the media's perception of his batting and its pace does not really dictate how the team management treats him. Pujara clarified that the team not only does not put pressure on him to score quicker, but also recognises the importance of the style that he bats with.

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Cheteshwar Pujara explains the importance of Test cricket

Talking about the critical comments that his style of play is subjected to, Pujara added that his goal at all times is to help his team win. He also talked about how, most times, the number of balls he may take to score is very similar to the balls that the opposing batsmen take as well. Pujara emphasised that he feels white-ball cricket has been getting a lot of importance in recent times due to its financial viability. Cheteshwar Pujara, however, maintained that Test cricket is the original form of cricket and a batsman can only be judged through his red ball performances. Pujara will be critical to India's plans when they visit Australia at the end of 2020 if everything goes according to schedule.

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Cheteshwar Pujara stats: Cheteshwar Pujara IPL outings

Cheteshwar Pujara last played in the IPL during the 2014 season where he represented the Kings XI Punjab and shared the dressing room with Virender Sehwag. Cheteshwar Pujara stats for the IPL are 390 runs in 22 innings with a high score of 51. He has played for the Kings XI Punjab, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, and the Kolkata Knight Riders.

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