'Missed celebrations in order to prioritise cricket' - Cheteshwar Pujara gets wife Puja's heartfelt post following retirement

Recently-retired Cheteshwar Pujara's wife Puja Pabari posted a heartfelt Instagram post involving the former's international retirement and how she thoroughly enjoyed his journey in competitive cricket all along. Pujara bid farewell to international cricket on August 24, 2025 in an announcement on his official social media handles, sending shockwaves across the cricketing fraternity.

Puja, an author and a popular internet personality herself, expressed immense happiness that his husband played the game in a fair-and-square manner without compromising on efforts. She also feels glad that the ace cricketer always gave it his all while playing in a manner that was definitive of his character, both as an athlete and as a human being.

‘Be in the present as the present is the present of the supreme presence’ - a guiding principle of the Bhagavad Gita which is something you have been living by for quite sometime now, and hope it continues to guide you in this next phase! As you bid goodbye to your first love, passion and the sport you love so much, I am glad you always gave it your all and played the game in your own calm and dignified way!,” the caption of the post read.

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A post shared by Puja (@puja_pabari)

She also admitted that she fell in love with the sport after getting married to the cricketer in 2013, and that both of them deserved to celebrate the missed time together due to professional commitments going forward. 

“From knowing nothing about cricket to loving you and the sport through your eyes - your journey has been a true education in life’s lessons for me, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have gone through the highs and lows of your career together! I will miss cheering you on the field, following the unshakeable routines, and at times maybe also the anxiousness before a match/series. For all the missed celebrations and adjustments made in order to prioritise cricket, lets make up for it now," she captioned further.

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Pujara played a total of 103 Tests for India. He registered 7195 runs in 176 innings while averaging 43.60. The defensively solid player scored 35 fifties and 19 hundreds in his red-ball career. Pujara's last international match was in June 2023 after which he was never considered by the management.