Now Reading: Pujara recalls SRK fanboy moment, Hazlewood net refusal
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Pujara recalls SRK fanboy moment, Hazlewood net refusal
Cheteshwar Pujara, who retired from international cricket last year, recounted two light-hearted anecdotes from his IPL days on JioHotstar's 'Cheeky Singles'. The 103-Test veteran described meeting Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh…
The Story in Brief
Cheteshwar Pujara, who retired from international cricket last year, recounted two light-hearted anecdotes from his IPL days on JioHotstar's 'Cheeky Singles'. The 103-Test veteran described meeting Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan during his 2009/10 stint as a 'fanboy moment', though he stressed that his focus remained on improving his game. Pujara also revealed that Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood jokingly refused to bowl to him in Chennai Super Kings nets, citing having bowled 'far too much' to him during India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumphs in 2018 and 2021.
Hazlewood, a CSK teammate in the 2021 IPL-winning squad, told Pujara he would not bowl to him again. Pujara scored 7,195 runs in Tests for India, tiring out Australian bowlers in two series wins Down Under.
The Indian Opinion
These stories, especially the Hazlewood refusal, feed two convenient narratives: that Pujara was a net-destroyer who intimidated even the best, and that IPL stardom overshadows Test grit. Both miss the nuance. Hazlewood's joke was a tribute to Pujara's patience, but it also underscores how rarely IPL spectators see the red-ball craft that made him great. The real test: will the next generation remember Pujara for his 19 Test hundreds or for a soundbite about Shah Rukh Khan? The answer will shape how we talk about specialists in a T20 age.
Sources (2): rediff.com, sports.ndtv.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
