Cheteshwar Pujara was not handed a cricket career. He grew up watching matches on television with his grandfather and father, and says that is where it all started.
Pujara, who played a central role in India's first-ever Test series win on Australian soil in 2018-19, spoke about his upbringing in an interview published by Yahoo Sports. His grandfather, Shivlal Pujara, played the sport. His father, Arvind Pujara, played as well.
"My grandfather was a cricketer, and my father played the sport too. So, the love for cricket runs in our family. Back in those days, not all international matches were televised, but I would watch all televised matches involving the Indian team with my father and grandfather. I remember being glued to the TV and watching Sachin (Tendulkar) paaji in action against top sides like Australia and Pakistan in ODI cricket. It was fascinating. So, I got into the sport thanks to my grandfather and father."
Pujara's mother, Reena Pujara, died when he was 17. He spoke at length about how much she shaped him, both as a cricketer and as a person.
He said she gave him confidence at a critical moment, when he was left out of the under-15 Indian team despite scoring an unbeaten triple hundred at the under-14 level for Saurashtra. She told him he was talented enough to make the Indian team one day.
"I also owe a lot to my mother for the way she brought me up. When I was disappointed after not getting picked for the under-15 Indian team even after an unbeaten triple hundred at the under-14 level for Saurashtra, she told me that I was talented enough and will certainly make it to the Indian team one day. She always had that confidence in me, and that gave me immense self-belief. Hailing from a normal middle-class family, I owe whatever I have achieved today to the values she instilled in me early in life. While she never said 'no' to any of my demands, including playing video games, she made sure I never neglected my studies. She taught me time management at a very young age. The most important lesson she taught me was when she told me, 'You may not become famous or successful as a cricketer, and that is fine. But you must become a good human being first.' Those words have always stayed with me."
Pujara finished his Test career with 19 centuries. He remains one of the most recognized names in Indian Test cricket, particularly for his performances in Australia, where his defensive batting and ability to tire out opposing bowlers became defining features of India's historic series victory.
