Sussex captain Cheteshwar Pujara expressed his disappointment at missing their match against Derbyshire due to a one-match suspension in the County Championship.
His suspension stems from repeated player discipline issues within the team, with other players also facing consequences for their behaviour in a previous game against Leicestershire, where Sussex won by 15 runs. This incident also resulted in the team losing 12 points.
Despite bearing the responsibility for the team’s disciplinary issues as the captain, Pujara expressed appreciation for the memories created and praised the team’s character in batting, bowling, and fielding. He also hinted at not participating in the final game of the season against Gloucestershire.
He wrote in an Instagram post: “Gutted to leave this way but looking back at the county season with cherished moments and unforgettable memories. Proud of the grit and character shown by this group. Wishing @sussexccc all the best for the remaining two games.”
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Responding to the post, Jaydev Unadkat, his teammate at Sussex, commented: “Well done skip! Let’s reverse the roles..”
Regarding this issue, Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace recently conveyed to ESPNCricinfo:
“We have made Jack and Tom unavailable for selection for this game at Derbyshire. Following the umpires and match referee’s decision to charge both players with on-field level one and level two offenses, we needed to take a stance and show them we will not condone such behaviors. Ultimately, it has cost us the availability of Cheteshwar and we have been deducted 12 points.”
Cheteshwar Pujara maintains his strong performance for Sussex in the County Championship
Cheteshwar Pujara has remained consistent for Sussex in the County Championship this season, scoring 649 runs in eight matches at an average of 54.08, which includes three centuries and two half-centuries. During the previous season, the player from Saurashtra accumulated 1094 runs in eight matches, which featured five centuries.
Pujara faced disappointment in the ICC World Test Championship final, recording scores of 14 and 27 as India suffered a 209-run defeat. It’s noteworthy that Rohit Sharma (15 and 43), Shubman Gill (13 and 18), and Virat Kohli (14 and 49) also struggled in that match. However, surprisingly, only Pujara was omitted from India’s Test squad for their two-match series in West Indies earlier this year. India secured a 1-0 series victory, marking the beginning of the new championship cycle for 2023-25.
Nevertheless, Pujara remains optimistic about making a comeback in the Indian team for the two-Test series scheduled in South Africa later this year. He recently shared this with Sussex:
“I am still in the scheme of things (for India), so I hope that the moment I start scoring runs in first-class games, I’ll be back into the team, but I’ll just try and be in the present, try and take one game at a time.”
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