Cheteshwar Pujara meets PM Modi ahead of 100th Test, says 'Will cherish interaction'

Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his 100th Test match for the country. Pujara is part of the Indian squad that is currently playing a four-match Test series against Australia. India are slated to play the second Test match of the series in Delhi starting February 17. It will be Pujara's 100th Test for India. Ahead of the crucial milestone in his career, Pujara and his wife Puja Pabari met PM Modi in Delhi. 

"It was an honour to meet our Hon. Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji. I will cherish the interaction and encouragement ahead of my 100th Test. Thank you @PMOIndia," Pujara wrote on Twitter. 

It was an honour to meet our Hon. Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji. I will cherish the interaction and encouragement ahead of my 100th Test. Thank you @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/x3h7dq07E9

— Cheteshwar Pujara (@cheteshwar1) February 14, 2023

Who is Cheteshwar Pujara? 
 

Cheteshwar Pujara is an Indian cricketer who was born on January 25, 1988, in Rajkot, Gujarat. He is a right-handed batsman and a part-time off-spinner. Pujara is known for his solid and patient batting style and is often compared to the legendary Rahul Dravid. He made his debut for the Indian cricket team in 2010 and has since established himself as a key player in the Test format. 

Pujara has scored over 7,000 runs in the longest format for India at an average of over 44, with 19 centuries to his name. He has also played for several domestic teams in India, including Saurashtra and Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. Pujara is widely regarded as one of the best Test batsmen in the world and has been an integral part of India's success in the format in recent years.

India vs Australia

As far as the ongoing Test series against Australia is concerned, India won the first match in Nagpur by innings and 132 runs. Spinners played a crucial role in the match as they picked up 23 out of 30 wickets between them. The second Test match is scheduled to take place in Delhi from February 17 to 21. Shreyas Iyer has been added to the India squad after completing his rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).  

India’s squad for second Test: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Suryakumar Yadav

Image: Twitter/CheteshwarPujara