Cheteshwar Pujara's Surprising IPL Journey: From Test Specialist to T20 Contender

Cheteshwar Pujara, a Test cricket great, has had a surprising journey in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the years. While he is primarily known for his 103 Test matches for India, Pujara has also played 30 matches in the IPL for various franchises since 2013.

In 2013, Pujara scored his first and only IPL fifty, playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against Punjab Kings (then known as Kings XI Punjab) at Mohali. He made 51 off 48 balls and put on a 102-run partnership with Chris Gayle, helping RCB reach 190/3. However, the hosts won the match by six wickets with two overs to spare.

Pujara's last IPL appearance came in 2014, and he scored a total of 390 runs in his IPL career at a strike rate of 99.74. Nearly seven years after his last IPL match, Pujara was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for ₹50 lakh ahead of the 2021 season. While he did not play any matches for the MS Dhoni-led side, Pujara was part of the squad that won the IPL title that year, which was played in the United Arab Emirates.

In June 2025, Pujara had voiced his opinion about being labeled a "Test cricketer," stating that while Test cricket remains his priority, not being considered for white-ball cricket could portray a negative image about a player. Pujara has played a total of 71 T20 matches, scoring 1556 runs at a strike rate of 112.18 with a best score of 100 not out.