Rahul Dravid helped me understand the importance of switching off from cricket: Cheteshwar Pujara

Ever since Cheteshwar Pujara made his debut for India, his style and flair were compared with Rahul Dravid. In 2020, it is safe to say that Pujara is a fitting replacement for Dravid. With centuries in South Africa, England and Australia, Pujara has proved that the baton has been passed on quite appropriately.

In a recent interview, the Saurashtra batsman has revealed the important lesson which he had learned from ‘The Wall’. He revealed that Dravid made him understood how important it is to switch off from cricket at times. He explained how the senior pro gave him more clarity about what needs to be done.

I learned that scoring a hundred alone isn’t enough: Cheteshwar Pujara

“He helped me understand the importance of switching off from cricket. I had the same thought, more or less, but when I spoke to him, it gave me a lot of clarity about it and I was sure of what I needed to do,” Pujara told ESPNcricinfo.

Pujara further explained how he learned to separate personal and professional lives from his experience in county cricket.

“I also saw in county cricket how they keep personal and professional lives separate. I value that advice a lot. Many people consider me to be focused on. Yes, I am focused, But I also know when to switch off. There is life beyond cricket,” he added.

The Indian batsman then went on to say that Dravid means a lot to him. He explained the similarities in the playing style of him and Rahul has nothing to do with the fact that he is fascinated with the former Indian captain. He also revealed that it was the experience of playing with Saurashtra which made him understand that it is important to carry your team.

“I cannot say in one line what Rahul Bhai means to me. He has always been an inspiration, and will remain one,” 32-year-old said. “There is a similarity in our games, but that’s not because of my fascination with him. That came mainly through my experiences with Saurashtra, where I learned that scoring a hundred alone isn’t enough, you have to carry your team. That is how I learned responsibility – it is about helping my team to raise a big total, and for that, I ought to attach importance to my wicket. I learned that from my junior cricket days with Saurashtra, which was a weaker team in domestic cricket,” Pujara said.

Pujara has featured in 77 Tests and scored 5840 runs at an average of 48.7. He has scored 18 centuries and 25 half-centuries so far. We can say that the Saurashtra player has a long way to go with his career as he is just 32 years old now.