Sussex re-signs Cheteshwar Pujara for 2024 County Championship season and One-Day Cup

In a major development for Sussex County Cricket Club, the county came forward to announce that they have re-signed veteran Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara for the upcoming County Championship season and One-Day Cup in 2024. Notably, Pujara not only put up some brilliant performances for the renowned English county but also led the side in the previous season, and his retention was something that many expected.

Scoring 649 runs in eight first-class matches, Pujara maintained an average of 54.08 runs. He also scored three centuries and two half-centuries in the process. Being the skipper, the veteran batter helped Sussex finish in the top three in County Championship Division Two.

Announcing his retention, Sussex took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share the brilliant news with their fans. “We are delighted to announce the re-signing of India Test batter Cheteshwar Pujara and Australian batter Daniel Hughes as overseas signings for the 2024 season,” Sussex tweeted on their 'X; handle.

I think the road is tough for a comeback: Harbhajan Singh

Team India are currently in South Africa, facing off against the Proteas in a multi-format series. The Indian squad for the T20I, ODI, and two-match Test series was announced, and to the surprise of many, Cheteshwar Pujara was not featured in the squad of India for the two-match Test series against South Africa.

The same did not sit well with former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh. The 43-year-old opined that the road to a comeback for the Indian team is going to be tough. He also opined that the selectors did not have a chat with Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, or Umesh Yadav before the squads were announced.

"South Africa tour is not easy. It’s tough for batters. here you won’t have Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Youth are indeed getting opportunities. It’s a good thing. But I don’t think that selectors had a chat with Rahane, Pujara, or Umesh Yadav because whenever Yadav has played in Tests, he has performed,” Harbhajan Singh said in a video on his YouTube channel.  

"I think the road is tough for a comeback (for these three players). However, they have served Indian cricket, and are renowned cricketers. The board should have had a chat with them. They should have been informed why they are not picked and what is a possible path for them in their careers,” Harbhajan concluded.