Following Cheteshwar Pujara’s announcement of his retirement, Ravichandran Ashwin—longtime teammate and fellow veteran of India’s Test side—shared the story behind the nickname he had for Pujara. Ashwin said that after Pujara’s remarkable performances in India’s iconic 2018–19 Test series triumph in Australia, he jokingly dubbed him the “White Walker.”
The nickname, inspired by the icy and relentless characters from Game of Thrones, reflected Pujara’s ability to withstand relentless Australian bowling night after night, much like an unstoppable, otherworldly force.
A Tour Defined by Resilience
Pujara’s heroics in that series were truly historic. He emerged as the leading run-scorer, amassing 521 runs at an outstanding average of over 74. He began with a determined ton and a fifty in Adelaide, followed by monumental hundreds in Melbourne and Sydney. In the final match in Sydney, Pujara crafted an immense innings of 193 off 373 deliveries, helping India post a massive total and assert dominance in the series finale.
Ashwin recounted how, by the final Test, the Australian bowlers seemed almost helpless against Pujara—so much so that they “literally had to tell Pujara, ‘please get out’.” That quip, delivered in an affectionate tribute video, underscored both his amusement at and admiration for Pujara’s unyielding concentration and tenacity at the crease.
Game of Thrones Meets the Cricket Field
The moniker “White Walker” resonated not just among teammates—it became emblematic of Pujara’s seemingly invincible presence at the crease. Ashwin observed that Pujara had become “the White Walker of Indian cricket, if not world cricket” after that tour, a testament to his ability to dominate opposition attacks with an almost mythical level of endurance and poise.
The nickname’s roots extend earlier—even before Ashwin’s own remarks. According to other reports, both Ashwin and the team’s performance analyst, Shankar Basu, coined the nickname together. There were even lighthearted riffs such as “Pujara is coming,” a playful twist on the famous “Winter is Coming” line from Game of Thrones, highlighting the camaraderie and affection within the dressing room.
Ashwin’s post-retirement revelation gives us a whimsical yet insightful lens into Pujara’s legacy. It highlights how his unmatched grit and quiet determination in Australia earned him a nickname rooted in pop-culture lore—an endearing badge of honour for a Test specialist who weathered storm after storm with unwavering resolve.
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