Cheteshwar Pujara named interim Sussex captain for County Championship

Veteran Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara was recently named the skipper of Sussex for the upcoming County Championships. The decision came following an injury that regular skipper Tom Haines sustained while batting against Leicestershire.

Haines broke a bone in his hand and will reportedly be out of contention for 5–6 weeks. In his absence, Pujara has been named the interim captain of the team. The 35-year-old represented Sussex in the previous season as well and was one of the best players for the side. 

As the interim skipper, Pujara will be keen on repeating his performances in the forthcoming County Championships. He played for Sussex after he was not selected by India to play against Sri Lanka in February 2022. However, through resilient and excellent performances in the domestic circuit, the veteran batter made his way back into the Indian team.

Pujara also played at the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023, where India beat Australia 2-1. Sussex would hope that Pujara will fully immerse himself in the role of skipper and lead the side to greater heights.

A natural leader ever since he joined: Head Coach Ian Salisbury

Following Pujara’s appointment as Sussex captain, the head coach of the side, Ian Salisbury, came forward to give his take on the Indian batter. He opined that he has full faith in the 35-year-old’s abilities and that he will lead the team quite efficiently given his vast experience in both International cricket and the domestic circuit which proves he is a natural leader.

"Puj was very keen to step up in the absence of Tom, he sees the potential in this side and has been a natural leader ever since he joined. Finny did a brilliant job for us after Tom was injured and will remain the senior figure among our bowlers," Salisbury was quoted as saying by Sussex Cricket.

"By having a batter take up the role, it means Finn can focus on leading our attack. Puj is a vastly experienced and quality person who I know will do a fantastic job," he added.