Cheteshwar Pujara returns for third straight season at Sussex

Unlike the overwhelming majority of Indian cricketers whose prime focus is on playing franchise cricket, hoping for it to be an undeviating pathway to representing the country, Cheteshwar Pujara stands out as an anomaly, much like a novel discovery disrupting conventional wisdom. In fact, Pujara’s first-ever exposure to the premier red-ball domestic competition of England dates back to a decade ago, when he had represented Derbyshire to kick off proceedings.

He returned to Sussex for his third straight spell for the first seven games of the 2024 season, with the three-time winners of the County Championship missing out on a good start by having to settle for an edge-of-the-seat draw against Northamptonshire in Brighton.

In an exclusive interview with Pujara, Sussex Cricket took to X to share how Pujara felt on his return to the club, his love for the place and how he enjoyed playing cricket at the club, as well as the level and amount of cricket he was playing while in India, referring to his state’s Ranji Trophy campaign, where they reached the quarter-finals of the coveted tournament. He spoke on the new acquisitions made by Sussex with the likes of John Simpson, Danny Lamb, and Jayden Seales joining the blend.

He also shared his thoughts on the newfound professionalism inculcated by every department associated with the club over the past couple of seasons. He also disclosed how he felt with his dear friend from Saurashtra, left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat, returning for the last five rounds of the season.