Saurashtra’s prolific middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara feels that the Indian Premier League is a great platform for young cricketers to rub shoulders with the best in the business from across the world.
He said the IPL has its own charm and playing in the Twenty20 tournament is altogether a different experience.
“IPL is the perfect platform for young cricketers to play alongside senior players of different countries. It (IPL) gives youngsters a chance to learn a lot from experienced players,” Pujara told PTI .
Pujara’s journey in the IPL so far has been far from rosy because of injuries.
The scenario was no different in this year’s IPL IV as after playing just seven games for Royal Challengers Bangalore, he sustained a knee injury while fielding against Kochi Tuskers Kerala to not only miss the remainder of the tournament but also India’s tour of West Indies.
“It is difficult to avoid on-field injury and an injured player does not have any option except for taking rest,” Pujara said.
He, however, refused to disclose the nature of his injury.
“I cannot disclose the details of my injury as per BCCI’s instruction.”
Pujara also expressed disappointment for missing out on a chance to tour West Indies in the absence of senior players.
“Its painful to sit out.”
In the absence of senior pros, Suresh Raina lead a depleted Indian side to a 3-2 win over the West Indies in the just-concluded five-match ODI series, and Pujara said it proves India’s strong bench strength.
Published - June 17, 2011 04:14 pm IST
