India Test specialist vouches for IPL return after 2 years

I’m very confident my game can adapt to the shorter formats. I don’t have to change massively. I think the basics remain the same. I’ve worked on shots, which will definitely help,” said the right-hander.

Pujara has impressive numbers when it comes to list A cricket. He averages 45 in domestic one-dayers and has 20 hundreds to is credit. If he performs well in England, there is no reason why he cannot make a comeback into the IPL.

But the IPL snub has done very little to dampen Pujara’s confidence. He has instead opted to play county cricket to prepare for the England series later in August.

That doesn’t mean Pujara has given hope of playing in coloured clothing. He still believes he can make a comeback in the Indian limited overs set-up as well as the IPL.

Pujara, who has only 51 runs to show in his 5 ODI appearances, is ready to stake claim in the Indian ODI side and a possible IPL singing through the Royal London One-Day Cup.

Pujara will play represent Yorkshire in domestic one-day tournament of England. “I’ve worked a lot to be part of the IPL and the shorter formats, especially one-day cricket. I want to be part of the Indian team in ODI cricket and, as I say, the IPL. My priority remains Test cricket. But to be a part of the ODI team, you need to have different skills,” said Pujara.

Pujara last played for the Kings XI Punjab in 2016 and since then has been missing from IPL due to lack of buyers.

However, with growing intensity, the franchises have become tougher, not shying away from choosing relevance over reputation.

IPL has always been a breeding ground for young talents. Over the years, it has unearthed many cricketers, who later on went to represent their respective countries.

As many as five teams are still fighting for the remaining two spots, speaking volumes about the level of competition in the tournament.

While Ishant did play a couple of matches for Kings XI, last year after being drafted oin as the replacement, Pujara was not considered even as a replacement for the second year in a row.

That has given rise to more and more Test specialists missing out because of their inability to cope with the fast-paced T20 cricket.

India’s Test specialists Ishant Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara being the prime examples. Despite being regulars in the whites, the experienced duo have gone unsold in IPL for consecutive years.

The eleventh edition of IPL is fast approaching to its business end. Only two teams – Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad have ensured play-off berths.