3 Indian Test players who debuted before Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and haven't retired yet

2. Cheteshwar Pujara

One of India's most prolific batters in red-ball cricket, Cheteshwar Pujara has been active since making his Test debut in 2010. The right-handed batter's ability to stay at the crease for long hours and exhaust the opposition attacks with his old-school style of play saw him achieve numerous heights for India. Pujara had made it into the side when it was in transition phase, just when Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman were in the fag end of their careers.

Across 103 Test matches, Pujara has scored 7195 runs at an average of 43.60 with 19 centuries and 35 fifties. His best moments came in overseas tours, mainly the Border-Gavaskar Trophies of 2018 and 2020-21. In 2018, he scored 521 runs at an average of 74.42. In 2020-21, he managed 271 runs and took up number of body blows for the nation and played an important role in the series win.

Despite being out of the Indian squad since the World Test Championship 2023 Final, Pujara has kept himself busy by featuring in the Ranji Trophy for Saurashtra and has also played County cricket for Sussex. In the 2024–25 Ranji season, he scored 402 runs in 10 innings at an average of 40.20, including a double hundred. While Kohli’s exit has triggered talks of a possible return, especially with the No. 4 spot now vacant.