Indian top-order batsman in Tests, Cheteshwar Pujara, who has been in the news for all good reasons since he made his debut, has once again made the headlines, as he broke a 70-year-old record.
In a recently concluded Ranji Trophy match against Jharkhand, the Saurashtra captain scored a brilliant double hundred to save his team from a tough situation. He led the team from the front and went on to score his 12th first-class double hundred. On doing that, he broke a 70-year-old record of Vijay Merchant to have scored the most number of double centuries.
After reaching the milestone, Pujara while talking about his feelings to Cricbuzz said he was not aware of the fact that he has broken a 70-year-old record.
“I was relaxing after a long day, and it was only after someone tagged me on Twitter that I realized I had achieved something so special. There are some very big names in that list, who have been absolute legends of the game and inspired my generation. I really feel humbled and very honoured that I will be remembered along with these greats in the long run,” he added.
Playing in his hometown Rajkot, he further mentioned that achieving this feat in front of the home crowd was more special. Pujara’s father was present at the ground to watch the match.
Talking about performances which was not up to the mark, off-late, the 29-year-old cricketer stated that batting in England while playing County cricket is challenging for a batsman. Also, Pujara feels with the Sri Lanka series coming closer, the double-century has come at the right time, and he is very happy with the way things have progressed.
“I have never played for records and at this stage of my career; I don’t want to attach a lot of importance to statistics. At the same time, it’s always great to know that your efforts are yielding such great results. I am sure that when I hang up my boots and look back at my career, in the long run, I will really cherish these moments. But for now, I don’t want to rest on my laurels because I feel I still have a long way to go. No professional sportsperson should feel content even after a special performance because there is always scope for improvement. I take a lot of pride in representing India, and I want to win as many matches for my country as possible,” Pujara signed off talking about what these milestones mean to him.
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