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"If I Got A Chance..." Pujara Dismisses Test Specialist Tag, Laments Lack Of ODI Exposure

Soumyajit Dutta

Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli [Source: @cheteshwar1/X]Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli [Source: @cheteshwar1/X]

Veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has opened up about his limited opportunities in white-ball cricket, attributing it to being pigeonholed as a "Test specialist" despite consistent domestic and county performances.

The 37-year-old, who played just five ODIs, acknowledged the label but stressed he harbours no regrets, calling his Test journey, highlighted by historic overseas triumphs, a "matter of great pride." 

Cheteshwar's Quiet What-If For White-Ball Cricket

Pujara’s Test credentials remain undisputed, 7,195 runs, 19 centuries, and a starring role in India’s 2018–19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy win, where his 521 runs dismantled Australia. Yet, in a candid chat with Sports Tak, he revealed a lingering "what-if" about his white-ball career. 

While accepting his legacy in whites, Cheteshwar Pujara hinted at unfulfilled potential, citing his robust List A and T20 numbers as proof he could’ve thrived internationally in shorter formats.

"I am very happy with the journey so far. There is no regret. But there are many things where I feel that it could have been... I got the tag of a Test cricketer somewhere, which is fine. That is not a bad thing because I like to play Test cricket. But because of that, a viewpoint was formed, and I did not get many opportunities in white ball cricket," Pujara told Sports Tak's special show, Vikrant Unfiltered.

"If you talk to coaches or senior players, then everyone says that if you can play Tests, you can also play ODIs. It is an easier format than Test cricket... I have no regrets, but if I got a chance, I would have played well," Pujara said.

With 103 Tests and an appearance in the 2023 WTC final, Pujara’s career epitomises resilience. Yet his reflections spotlight Indian cricket’s often rigid categorisation of players, a system where format labels, once assigned, rarely fade.