Virat Kohli Made Big Runs Because of Cheteshwar Pujara? R. Ashwin Makes Huge Claim

Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement early this week bringing an end to an illustrious career. Most reckoned it is an end of an era with Pujara retiring. A couple of days after Pujara's retirement, former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin made a huge claim. While lavishing praise on Pujara, Ashwin spoke about the value he added to the side. Ashwin also claimed that Virat Kohli made big runs because of Pujara at No. 3. 

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‘His contributions are no less than Virat Kohli’

“What did Cheteshwar Pujara stand for in Indian cricket? I said his contributions are no less than Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Obviously, a lot of people talk about their contributions. The attention is not there," he said on his popular podcast 'Ash Ki Baat'.

“Not every cricketer gets the attention, but that does not mean their contribution is any less. Pujara's contribution at No.3, believe it or not, was instrumental in helping Virat Kohli also make a lot of his runs,” he said further. 

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Pujara - The Wall

Pujara replaced Rahul Dravid at No. 3 and held the position for roughly a decade. He did absolute justice to the role in Test cricket. He amassed 7195 runs at an average of 43.60, earning a reputation for his grit, patience, and resilience. Kohli and Pujara as a pair scored 3438 runs at an average of 42.4, including 17 fifty-plus stands and seven century-plus partnerships. 

The two partnerships between them that standout are the 222-run stand against South Africa in 2013 and a 226-run partnership against England in 2016.