I am not a power-hitter but can time the ball well just like how Rohit and Virat do in T20 Cricket: Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara will turn out for the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) side in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Even though he has been a part of the India Test side for more than a decade, Pujara has not played a single T20I for India.

Also, he has played just 30 matches in the IPL and is considered more as a Test match specialist. And now, the 33-year-old has opened up on playing white-ball cricket. India’s No.3 in Tests stated that the mentality of a batsman is important and a willow wielder should be willing to make adjustments.

The CSK recruit also opined that while playing Test cricket, a batsman has to put a price on his wicket, but when he is playing T20 cricket, he just needs to go ahead and express himself.

“I definitely think so, especially the way the white ball travels. It is just about making the mental change. I feel that mentally if you are ready to make some adjustments, you don’t need to take a lot of pressure. In Test cricket there is a lot of pressure, there is a price on your wicket. But in the shorter format you just need to express yourself and play all the shots you can,” said Pujara in a chat with ESPNCricinfo.

“I am very flexible now,” says Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara also revealed that he is very flexible in T20 cricket and added that the roles that the players perform have changed. The CSK player even opined that the most successful players are the ones who are very flexible.

“I am very flexible now. And one has to be in this format. There was a time where players used to choose their role, but now players have changed, their roles have changed, and the most successful are the ones who are very flexible in the way they do things,” added the CSK player.

Pujara also dwelled on the importance of strike rate in T20 cricket. Admitting that he is not a power-hitter, the right-hander concluded by stating that players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are the best timers of the cricket ball that he has seen.

“And when it comes to strike rate, yes, I agree that I’m not a power-hitter. But at the same time, you learn from players like Virat and Rohit, they are not purely power-hitters, but one of the best timers of the ball I have seen in the shorter formats,” concluded Pujara.