Virat Kohli pens emotional note for Cheteshwar Pujara following retirement: ‘Thank you for making my job easier’

Cheteshwar Pujara praised by Virat Kohli. (Photo: ICC)

Former India captain Virat Kohli paid a heartfelt tribute to his longtime teammate Cheteshwar Pujara, who on Sunday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. As a No. 4 batsman for the Indian Test cricket team, Kohli commended Pujara for making his work easy.

The 37-year-old Pujara, who last represented India in the 2023 World Test Championship final, amassed 7,195 runs over his 103-Test career, including an incredible 6,529 at 44.41 at the vital No. 3 position. He was the ideal replacement for the legendary Rahul Dravid and gave the Indian top-order the much-needed stability both in home and away games.

During the 2018–19 tour of Australia, he put on one of his best performances, scoring 521 runs in seven innings to help India win their first Test series in Australia. This was one of captain Kohli's finest triumphs.

Though two days late, Kohli paid a poignant tribute to Pujara on Tuesday, thanking him for making his job as a No. 4 batsman simple. “Thank you for making my job easier at 4 pujji. You’ve had an amazing career. Congratulations and wish you the best for what’s ahead. God bless you @cheteshwar_pujara,” Kohli wrote on an Instagram story.

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The figures also highlight how crucial Pujara was to Kohli as a batter and Test captain. Between 2014 and 2022, Kohli led India in 68 games, winning 40 and losing 17. Pujara played in 38 of the team's 62 victories.

The fact that batsman Kohli has played with Pujara and averaged above 54 in Test matches shows how the former India skipper was able to thrive from the No. 4 position thanks to the No. 3 batter's hard work.

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India won't have an easy time replacing Pujara anytime soon. With little success, they gave Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair a try in the England series. In addition to having a great technique, a No. 3 batter must possess a great deal of mental toughness and bravery, both of which Pujara had in abundance.