• CSK signed Cheteshwar Pujara in the IPL 2021 auction at his base price.

  • Pujara last played an IPL game in 2014 for Punjab Kings.

IPL 2021: Netizens hail Cheteshwar Pujara after CSK picks him in the mini-auction
Cheteshwar Pujara (Image Source: @BCCI)

Known as Team India’s Mr Dependable, Cheteshwar Pujara finally found a buyer in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bought him at his base price of INR 50 lakhs.

Pujara last featured in the cash-rich league back in 2014 when he represented Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). His last IPL match came against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium, where he had scored 19 runs off 18 balls before Corey Anderson ended his innings.

Pujara made his IPL debut for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2010. Thereafter, he moved to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), where the top-order batter played three seasons before joining the Mohali-based franchise.

So far, Pujara has appeared in 30 IPL games, scoring 390 runs at an average of 20.5 along with the strike-rate of 99.7. He has one half-century to his name in the lucrative league.

When CSK picked Pujara for the upcoming fourteenth edition, the applause broke out in the auction room as every member clapped for the veteran Indian batsman. Not only did the members sitting in the auction room but also the fans watching the bidding process couldn’t stop themselves from reacting as they expressed their happiness over Pujara getting a buyer in the IPL.

Here is how Twitter reacted:

After being bought by the MS Dhoni-led side, Pujara took to Twitter and shared his feelings. He wrote: “Thank you for showing the faith. Look forward!”

The 33-year-old is presently playing in the four-match Test series between India and England. The series is currently levelled at 1-1 as England won the first match, followed by India registering victory in the second Test at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Both the teams will now be up against each other in the pink-ball Test at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, starting from February 24.

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