Not playing in IPL, Chesteshwar Pujara will head to England to prepare for India’s tour

While the country’s top cricketers get busy with the much-anticipated IPL come April, India’s Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara will be starting his preparations for India’s tour of England later this year. Pujara will be turning out for English county heavyweights Yorkshire in Division 1 for a second stint, eyeing the five-Test series against the Three Lions slated to be held in August.

According to Pujara, the most beneficial aspect will be playing county cricket at Test venues of India‘s tour, which will give an idea about pitches and conditions. For Pujara, there isn’t much change technique wise from South Africa to England.

Speaking  PTI during an exclusive interview at the Kotla today, the 30-year-old said, “I am looking forward to the county season as we will be playing Test matches in August. I was with Yorkshire in 2015 when we won the County Championship. It’s a fantastic team with a good bunch of professionals, which helps me become a better cricketer.”

Pujara blames ‘public perception’ for failing to land an IPL deal

The wristy, stroke player has not got an IPL deal for the past few seasons and admit that it has got a lot to do with “public perception”. While Pujara is a trusted figure in red-ball cricket, in limited-overs it is diametrically opposite. He has played only five ODIs and no T20Is for India, and realistically, is not considered to be nearly as prolific in the shorter versions of the game.

Pujara’s contrasting fortunes come down to two things – perception and performance. A large part of his success has come in the longer version, where his style of craftsmanship batting has paid rich dividends. At the same time, he hasn’t succeeded to capitalize on the few chances that have come his way in the limited overs to stamp his credentials with some authority.

Also, with the way the present Indian ODI and T20 teams have performed, it will be an uphill task for Pujara to consolidate his place in the team, studded with hard-hitting, flourishing batsman.