"Didn't feel bad as such" - Cheteshwar Pujara on missing several IPL seasons

Indian Test cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara suggested that he missed the IPL sometimes, having not played in the tournament as frequently. However, the right-handed batter believes that the upside has been the county cricket experience, helping him refine his game.

Due to his inability to hit sixes consistently and playing with a lower strike rate in T20s, Pujara has played in only five IPL seasons from 2010-2014. While the 35-year-old bagged a contract ahead of IPL 2021, he didn't get to feature for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The last of his five ODIs also came in 2014.

Speaking to the Times of India, Pujara conceded that he has always had the potential to play limited-overs cricket, but didn't feel gutted to miss the IPL.

"T20 is a different format altogether and I always felt I had the potential to play the shorter format. I've done well whenever I've played in domestic and county cricket in all formats. I didn't feel bad as such, but there are times when I miss IPL, but currently, I've been playing county cricket, which has helped me immensely. Having the experience of those conditions has helped me improve my game."

Nevertheless, the veteran batter had a productive season for Sussex in the 2022 Royal London One-Day Cup as he finished as the tournament's second-highest run-getter. Pujara smashed 624 runs in nine matches at 89.14 with three tons.

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"I'm someone who prefers staying in the present" - Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara at Royal London Cup

Despite admitting to enjoying his white-ball game, Cheteshwar Pujara said he doesn't regret playing the format relatively late as he prefers staying in the present.

"I don't want to look back. I'm someone who prefers staying in the present. There's no need to think about things which are in the past. Yes, I'm enjoying my white-ball game. I've added a few shots in it. I'm working on a few things there, which has helped me become more fearless," Pujara added.

The 98-Test veteran is currently gearing up for the red-ball series against Australia, starting on February 9th in Nagpur.