"I don’t need to…": Cheteshwar Pujara bluntly refuses to guide Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli

Legendary Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara has made it clear that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli would not need any external advice, as they are experienced enough to do what is expected from them and well aware of how to keep themselves fit for the grind.

Ever since Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from the other two formats of the game, there have been immense doubts about the two veterans keeping up with their ODI careers, as India prepares for the next ODI World Cup in 2027.

The two veterans will be over 40 and 39 years old by the next World Cup, while there are a very limited number of One-Day International games in India's Future Tours Programme for the upcoming international calendar.

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Cheteshwar Pujara backs Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the One-Day grind

Cheteshwar Pujara himself announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket this month, and while he has backed the two Indian greats and his former teammates as being experienced enough to understand what is expected from them, he feels they do not need any advice.

“I don’t need to give any advice because they are some of the best players in white-ball cricket. Even if they are playing just one format, they are experienced enough to know what is expected of them,” said Pujara during The Indian Express Idea Exchange.

“They are such talented players. Look at the records Virat and Rohit have. They also know when the right time is for them to call it quits. They understand the level of commitment required, and if they are fit enough, they can carry on playing international cricket for a long time,” he added.

Cheteshwar Pujara voices support for BCCI mandate on domestic participation

Pujara has also voiced his support for the BCCI's decision to make domestic participation a mandate for international players.

He stated, “It’s important for players to play domestic cricket. It raises the standard of the competition. When top players participate, it brings a lot of motivation, and young domestic players can learn a great deal."

"At the same time, the workload needs to be managed. If you are a multi-format player, you can’t participate in every game, but you need to identify if there is a Test series coming up.”

“For that preparation alone, if someone can manage to play one or two games, that would be ideal. As for batsmen, they should play as many domestic games as possible,” added Cheteshwar Pujara.

Cheteshwar Pujara excludes Bumrah from Domestic games, citing Workload concerns

Though supporting the claim made by the BCCI, the former batter has excluded the likes of veteran bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah from the usual domestic grind.

“It might be slightly different for bowlers. Someone like Jasprit Bumrah needs to manage his workload and can’t be expected to play domestic cricket."

"But if there is a young fast bowler trying to develop his skills in red-ball cricket, he should play as many matches as possible. The team management and coaching staff at the NCA should sit together and figure out a roadmap for every player,” said Pujara.

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