Cheteshwar Pujara Collects His Arjuna Award

India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has been awarded the coveted Arjuna award, five years after being nominated for it.

Due to his cricketing commitments, Pujara was unable to attend the awards event in 2017. At a handover ceremony here on Saturday, he finally received the prize.

“Thankful to @IndiaSports @BCCI and @ianuragthakur to organize and handover the Arjuna Award belatedly, which I could not collect the year it was awarded to me due to my cricket commitments. Honored and grateful,” he tweeted after getting the award from Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.

Thankful to @IndiaSports, @BCCI and @ianuragthakur to organise and handover the Arjuna Award belatedly, which I could not collect the year it was awarded to me due to my cricket commitments. Honoured and grateful? pic.twitter.com/Dokz4ZP3Hs

— Cheteshwar Pujara (@cheteshwar1) November 19, 2022

Pujara, who plays domestic cricket for Saurashtra, is in the national capital for the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

He will be a part of India A squad that will tour Bangladesh ahead of the two-Test series in the neighboring country next month.

A veteran of 96 Tests, Pujara had made a comeback into the Indian team following exemplary performances in county cricket.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Umesh Yadav likely to be part of India A squad for Bangladesh:

The India A team, which will play two first-class matches in Bangladesh before the senior sides square off in a Test series as part of the World Test Championship, may include veteran batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and pacer Umesh Yadav.

The right-handed batter may also serve as the team’s captain, according to a Cricbuzz report, though nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

The two were included in the 16-person team that was unveiled on October 31 by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Pujara has been active recently on the domestic circuit after reclaiming his position in the middle of the order for the Indian team following his county stint with Sussex.

On the other side, Umesh received an unexpected call-up for the September home series against Australia. Early in 2022, he made one final appearance in a Test match when on a tour of South Africa. The right-arm bowler has excelled for Middlesex in both domestic cricket and the county tournament, much like his countryman Pujara.

Although the plan has been discussed, it has not yet been decided to include senior squad backup wicketkeeper KS Bharat in the squad for match practice.

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