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Cheteshwar Pujara: Yorkshire re-sign India Test batsman

Last updated on .From the section Cricketcomments48

Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara has scored 816 runs in the County Championship, including three 50s and three centuries

Yorkshire have re-signed India's Cheteshwar Pujara, meaning three of the world's top six-ranked Test batsmen will play for the county this summer.

In addition to Pujara, 30, Yorkshire will also field England captain Joe Root and New Zealand's Kane Williamson.

Pujara, who helped Yorkshire win the 2015 County Championship, could play in the Leeds-Bradford MCCU game in April.

"It's an honour for me to play for the same county as Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar," he told the club's website.

Andrew Gale on Twitter
Yorkshire's head coach Andrew Gale on their latest signing

Pujara, who has also played for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, will share overseas duties with New Zealand captain Williamson.

"Each time I've played county cricket it has improved me as a player. That's the plan again in 2018," the number three added.

"I love the passion the people of Yorkshire have for the game and they made me feel very welcome.

"I know quite a few of the players, so I'll just try to play my natural game and score plenty of runs for the club."

India have scheduled a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Bangalore from 14-18 June, meaning Pujara will leave England after the One-Day Cup game at Lancashire on 5 June.

But the batsman will return in time for the away trip to Hampshire in the County Championship on 20 June.

Pujara could also stay on after India's summer Test tour in order to play the final home fixture against Hampshire on 18 September, followed by the trip to New Road to face Worcestershire six days later.

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48 comments

  • Comment posted by Navers, at 09:43 30 Jan 2018

    Yorkshire have a coup here with the modern Rahul Dravid. Very solid player.

  • Comment posted by Connor McDavid is overrated, at 08:33 30 Jan 2018

    Proper cricketer, seems to prioritise test cricket which is a rarity these days. Hasn't sold his soul to the IPL. Would love to have him at Hants.

  • Comment posted by U16702956, at 09:44 30 Jan 2018

    He is no doubt a wonderful batsman who is technically sound and able to play with a cool head. Good for him and Yorkshire as well. Great to have three amazing players in the team.

  • Comment posted by john-not-in-hendon, at 10:06 30 Jan 2018

    to be fair hes a very fine player and even in south africa he batted pretty well on a very hostile wicket at joburg..

  • Comment posted by Supernova, at 09:35 30 Jan 2018

    Should do a lot of good to this very talented cricketer! No one gets a county call without a good track record which this guy deservedly has. Way to go Che Pu!

  • Comment posted by yorkie_realist, at 11:27 30 Jan 2018

    Root, Bairstow, Willey, Rashid, Plunkett and maybe Balance will be missing for large chunks of the season. How many other counties lose so many top class players during a season ? So I welcome both overseas players to the county. Do not despair though as the yorkshire conveyor belt is still working. Watch out for Coad and Fisher this season.

  • Comment posted by Lawrence, at 08:24 30 Jan 2018

    Bet they both play more games than Joe Root though :(

  • Comment posted by Shark Attack, at 14:58 30 Jan 2018

    How can anyone call Joe Root a Yorkshire Batsman any more? He played one CC match for Yorkshire in 2017 (Cook played 7 times for Essex)

    Along with Bairstow, Rashid, Plunkett, Balance, Lyth & Willey all being selected for England in 2017, Yorkshire must feel like a depleted squad at times.

    It is about time counties received some form of points compensation for England call ups.

  • Comment posted by berniefb, at 12:14 30 Jan 2018

    It's not Yorkshire's role to ensure that England's opponents don't acclimatise to home conditions. The club's task is to win games and trophies, the County Championship being the top prize. Best to get the top players in to win it as early as possible, especially when the ECB are likely to tell us that our England players can't play in the last couple of games because they must rest.

  • Comment posted by 931035, at 08:21 30 Jan 2018

    The article says he joins Root and Williamson to give Yorkshire 3 of the top 6 batsmen, but that is misleading as Pujara and Williamson will never be able to play at the same time. One is a replacement for the other, rather than them being team-mates.

  • Comment posted by matt1985, at 12:15 30 Jan 2018

    @24 These are not 'self righteous' - they are simple facts. And the fact also follows that if England take away half of our players for large chunks of the summer, then we have every right to sign top quality overseas players, just as EVERY county is allowed to do. And why should we put England first when there are no incentives to do so?

  • Comment posted by Supernova, at 12:10 30 Jan 2018

    @griff44 - what are you here, can I know?? Have you bothered to even read the article before keying in "Who"! Shame to know that people have time to do this although it must have cost you 2 mins of your time or is it 2 seconds? Pathetic to say the least!

  • Comment posted by Hostamosta, at 11:30 30 Jan 2018

    2. Posted by john-not-in-hendon on 1 hour ago

    watch out you yorkies were on our way up there in april to continue the battering we gave you lot last season...essex champions...
    ------
    Careful Essex, England will be after your players, probably get at least one in to carry the drinks. Ideal county team is one with players not quite on the international radar or retired from it.

  • Comment posted by Cricket Fan, at 08:08 30 Jan 2018

    I am glad Pujara can have some good practice playing in English condition before the big series in the summer.

  • Comment posted by Sheffield 6, at 12:33 30 Jan 2018

    Hopefully our team is not decimated by England again this season.

    Rashid, Plunkett, Root, Balance, Barstow, Willey - we should be charging England fees for the amount of times they call up our players or we should be able to defer county games if players are not available.

    We have to look abroad because everytime we have a good player England call them up and prevent us from playing them.

  • Comment posted by Rights come with responsibilities, at 11:17 30 Jan 2018

    HPK @17 - are you for real? Even with Sidebottom retiring there are so many top class bowlers they can't all play at once. Of course we do need a few as we provide so many for England.

  • Comment posted by Rights come with responsibilities, at 08:34 30 Jan 2018

    Far better than that aussie non-entity Handscombe.

  • Comment posted by The_Bit_Before, at 12:48 30 Jan 2018

    I'd be glad if playing some county cricket helps him get his eye in ahead of the test series. Have none of you read the comments on here of Aggers and others who have bemoaned the lack of quality tour matches ahead of test series?

    One-sided test series with such a home-bias are good for no-one and prove nothing of England's 'world-class' quality or lack of.

  • Comment posted by ArthurMaileys4for362, at 17:09 30 Jan 2018

    @24, ever thought that we need need to bring in overseas players is BECAUSE we supply "half the England team"?
    Anyway 3 of the top 6 players in the world is great but they won't play in the same side

  • Comment posted by Robin, at 15:28 30 Jan 2018

    Brilliant Test player and the youngsters will benefit!! Great human being too, by all accounts.

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