Former Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara has strolled down memory lane to the fun moments during his playing days with the Indian Test team. Notably, Pujara retired from all forms of the game in August 2025.
Speaking exclusively on Sony Sports Network, Pujara revealed that the keeper-batter Rishabh Pant used to irritate him a lot while he was fielding in the slip cordon. The former cricketer also disclosed that Pant likes to be in that zone while he wants to focus and concentrate on the game.
“It is very entertaining. If you are in a phase of a game where things are not moving, there’s a big partnership going on, but Rishabh Pant, whenever he is around, you have that banter and fun moments. But I used to get irritated at some point. I’ll be very honest,” Cheteshwar Pujara said on Sony Sports Network.
When the ball was new, I was standing at first slip. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami are bowling. There’s very little time if the ball has nicked and I have to catch it. And he will keep talking and asking me questions because he likes to be in that zone. And I want to focus and concentrate, and he will keep irritating me. So I had to tell him, please allow me to focus. If you want to have a chat, you can with other players. But I don’t mind chatting in between the balls. But he is a lovely character,” he added.
Pujara ended his red-ball career with 7,195 runs in 103 Test matches at an average of 43.60, featuring 19 centuries. In overall first-class cricket, he racked up 21,301 runs across 278 matches at an average of 51.83 with 66 centuries.
