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Cheteshwar Pujara’s dazzles in County as cricketer eyes India call-up

India’s batting barnacle Cheteshwar Pujara was roped in by Sussex earlier this year for the 2022 County Championship in England. The legendary batter, having already played for County teams like Derbyshire (2014), Yorkshire (2015 and 2018) and Nottinghamshire (2017) before, made his debut for Sussex on April 14 against Derbyshire in a Division Two match-up.

Pujara impressed one-and-all in his maiden outing for Sussex. The 34-year-old showed no first-game jitters as he punched out a match-saving unbeaten 201, a ton which also ended his 52-inning century drought in first-class cricket. 

He later carried his newfound batting tune into the subsequent matches for his side, plundering four tons in total and converting two of them into double centuries.   

Cheteshwar Pujara’s impact for Sussex in the 2022 County Championship

Cheteshwar Pujara entered the 2022 Championship with a below-par County record. Before his signing with Sussex, the right-hander could only manage 988 runs across 36 innings at an average of 29.33 for his last three County teams. 

Moreover, a string of low scores in Tests also saw him dropped from India’s home series against Sri Lanka in March this year.

Facing one of the worst batting slumps of his career, the Saurashtra-based batsman yielded impressive numbers for Sussex. Pujara plundered centuries in each of the first four matches he played for Sussex, and two of his tons turned out to be match-saving efforts.

So far this year, Cheteshwar Pujara has hammered 720 runs in eight innings with four centuries at a Bradman-Esque average of 120. He is known for his defensive technique and occupying long hours at the crease.

Pujara defied himself during his breath-taking knock against Middlesex. He hammered a rebellious 170 not out from just 197 balls, belting 22 fours and three sixes.

Despite Cheteshwar Pujara’s golden patch with the bat, Sussex is yet to register a win in this year’s competition. However, his match-saving efforts ensured that his side does not remain at the bottom of the table. 

They are placed seventh on the Division Two points table, just ahead of Leicestershire. Pujara is now expected to turn up against Glamorgan for his side’s next match on June 12 in Cardiff.

Pujara’s successful County stint might trigger a possible Team India call-up

Having remained unsold at the TATA IPL 2022 auction, Cheteshwar Pujara pursued the 2022 County Championship in a bid to knock on the selector’s door before India’s one-off Test match in England later this year.

Team India is currently scheduled to tour England in July to play a three-match T20I and a three-match ODI series. The tour will also include a one-off Test match between the two sides, which will conclude the five-match series that was played in August-September last year. Team India led the series 2-1 before COVID-19 cases in the Indian camp triggered a last-minute reschedule.

Interestingly, Cheteshwar Pujara played a supporting role in both Indian wins against England last year. His 100-run stand with Ajinkya Rahane at Lord’s saved India from an early second innings setback. Moreover, his 61-run knock at The Oval was instrumental in setting up a big Day 5 target for the hosts. 

However, the lack of three-figure scores in Australia, England and South Africa in the space of one year saw Pujara getting axed from the national side. 

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'Have always been a fan of Mickey Arthur,’ says Shan Masood

Solid and technically sound left-handed Pakistan opener Shan Masood is playing his first County season this summer. Recently, he spoke about his objectives by featuring in County Cricket and his relationship with coach Mickey Arthur. He is currently the highest run-scorer in the County Championship Division II, with 826 runs at a staggering average of 118 in five matches for Derbyshire. Shan wishes to play as much cricket as possible and said his objectives are very 'simple'. "The objectives from my point of view are very simple and that is to play as much cricket as the County season offers. I have been fortunate enough to have been offered a full-season all-format contract where I will get a chance to play plenty of cricket against different teams. This will allow me to test myself under varying conditions and in different formats and basically is a great opportunity to play a lot of cricket. I haven't really played too much cricket in the recent past. So, being in touch with the game and playing a lot is very fulfilling for me," Masood told PakPassion.net. The Johannesburg- has taken over as head coach in Derbyshire this season. Upon being asked if Arthur played any role in Shan's move to Derbyshire, the southpaw revealed about his sudden meeting with the South African-Australian cricket coach at Dubai Airport. "He and I had a coincidental meeting at the airport in Dubai after the ICC T20 World Cup. I met Mickey who was on his way to Sri Lanka. Funnily enough he said that he was going to contact me anyways in a few days, so I guess this chance meeting accelerated the process as he asked me if I was interested and available to play for Derbyshire this summer," Masood said. The 32-year-old batter, who already played under Arthur during the latter's stint as Pakistan coach, described it as a feeling of 'Déjà Vu' to play under his coaching in Derbyshire. "I have always been a fan of Mickey Arthur, but I won't sugar coat it because we've always had hard conversations and had our differences, but everything about that has been honest and truthful," he added. The Kuwait-born cricketer also said that Arthur's man-management skill is unmatched. He is looking forward to enjoying his time in the UK under the South African coach.

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Reports: Ajinkya Rahane to miss England Tour due to Hamstring Injury

Out of favour Indian international Ajinkya Rahane is expected to miss out on the touring squad to face England in June-July, this year. In the Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Saturday, Rahane was seen in discomfort during his knock of 28 off 24 and was not present on the field in the second innings. After the game, the dressing room conversation revealed that the 33-year-old batter suffered from a hamstring strain. According to sources at Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Rahane has been ruled out of IPL and will leave the KKR bubble on Monday. Thereafter, he will report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to undergo rehabilitation for more than four weeks. In seven innings of IPL 2022, Rahane could manage only 133 runs. The injury has certainly put Rahane in a tough spot, as the Indian team is expected to leave for England on June 16. Earlier this year, Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara were dropped from the Test squad for the 2-match Test series against Sri Lanka due to their bad form. Instead, the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari filled the boots of veteran batters. The Indian team is scheduled to play a 5-match T20I series against South Africa from June 9 to 19. On the other hand, the England tour will kick off with the rescheduled Test on July 1. Then, the three-match T20I series and as many ODI matches will be played between the two teams. The selectors are expected to announce separate squads for the two series in a week. It is also being reported that the squad playing against South Africa will be pitted against Ireland for a two-match T20I series on June 26 and 28. The BCCI are in active talks with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to organize a warm-up match for the Test team ahead of their fixture on July 1. It will undoubtedly be critical for the Indian team, as they played their last red-ball game in March, earlier this year.