File photo of Dinesh Karthik.©AFP
Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara watched the song as he hit a 130-ball 102 in the second innings of the first Test against Bangladesh on Friday. Seeing what was Pujara’s ‘fastest test hundred ever’ got fans and pundits talking about the batsman’s ability to play aggressively too, especially in regards to the fact that the IPL 2023 auction is just days away . However, veteran Indian wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik does not feel Pujara is eager to play in the T20 league.
In fact, Pujara hasn’t even registered for this year’s auction, having last had a chance to play in the money-rich league in 2014. Karthik even thinks Pujara has carved out a niche for himself and also said that the veteran batsman understands that IPL is not his cup of tea.
“To be honest, I don’t think he’s thrilled about playing in the IPL. He’s been trying for a while and he’s realized it’s not his thing. He spends a lot of the summer in England where he sharpening his skills and playing his cricket. At this stage of his life it’s not about trying to prove a point. It’s about where do you like to play and where do people enjoy me hitting this way. He’s very well aware of those answers, and that’s not the IPL for him,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
“That’s going out in the summer and playing for England. He likes to do that. He brings his family and that’s an honor for him because he’s found a niche for himself there. That’s what you need to get ahead as a cricketer. When you realize there’s a fight you can’t win, you have to move on to another fight. And he’s gone down that path,” Karthik added.
Pujara was part of the Chennai Super Kings squad in the IPL 2021 season but he did not appear in a single match for the franchise.
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