“I watch occasionally, mostly if someone else is watching”
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has revealed that he rarely watches the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on TV.
Pujara is coming off a superb 13-Test home season, where he broke the record for the most runs scored in an Indian first-class season with 1,605 runs at an average of 89.16.
Since he isn’t playing any competitive cricket at the moment, the 29-year-old is taking the opportunity to spend time with his family.
“It’s either practice or fitness training almost the entire day and it can’t be cricket 24 hours,” Pujara told the New Indian Express. “The switch-off happens in the evenings, when I’m with family or friends. That’s why I don’t watch IPL on TV, not because I’m not part of it. I watch occasionally, mostly if someone else is watching.”
Looking back on his extraordinary home season, Pujara conceded that he is slightly gutted by the fact that he failed to convert eight half-centuries into triple figure scores. Pujara surpassed 70 runs on four of those occasions, while one of his dismissals came when he was on 92.
“It’s fantastic to have contributed to the team’s success, but I thought I gave away my wicket too many times,” he said. “There were starts that I couldn’t convert. I’ve to improve in this area. I’m known to get big hundreds and have got them since my junior days.”
Pujara is expected to earn INR 4.25 crores during the period of October 2016 to September 2017, but a number of players are likely to earn more just off the IPL itself.
Despite this, Pujara insists that he is not concerned about how much he earns in comparison to other players.
“Many wanted India to win, the Australia series was tough,” he said. “To have done well in those matches and gained the respect of teammates and oppositions brings about a satisfaction that can’t be matched.
“The feeling that comes from performing when the team needs you to can’t be compared. I don’t want to talk about how much others are earning or doing. What I’ve earned is precious to me.”