"I Had A Word With Dada": India Pacer Reveals How Cheteshwar Pujara Phone Call Changed His Life
Indian cricket fans had a sad day on August 24 as the veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of the game.
- Cheteshwar Pujara retired from all forms of cricket on August 24 at age 37
- Jaydev Unadkat credited Pujara for influencing his entry into the IPL in 2010
- "Little did I know back then that we would become best mates and share some of our finest memories," he said
Indian cricket fans had a sad day on August 24 as the veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of the game. The 37-year-old pulled the curtains down on his career after 103 Tests with 7,195 Test runs at 43.60, laced with 19 hundreds and 35 half-centuries during a journey that spanned over 15 years. Over the years, Pujara has played a great role in taking Indian Test cricket to new heights with his brilliant batting performances.
As Pujara announced his retirement, Indian pacer Jaydev Unadkat revealed an interesting story about how the batter became the reason for his entry in the IPL.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Unadkat, who also hails for Saurashtra just like Pujara, revealed that he got a text from the veteran batter in 2010, and it changed his life and career forever.
"'Hi Jaydev, this is Cheteshwar. I have had a word with Dada, and you have to go for the KKR trials. You are bowling very well, so keep it up.' This was our first conversation on the phone after one of our Ranji Trophy nets, where I was still a net bowler, back in 2010. Little did I know back then that we would become best mates and share some of our finest memories, and not just on the field," Unadkat wrote.
“Hi Jaydev, this is Cheteshwar. I have had a word with Dada and you have to go for KKR trials. You are bowling very well so keep it up!”
— Jaydev Unadkat (@JUnadkat) August 24, 2025
This was our first conversation on phone after one of our ranji trophy nets where I was still a net bowler, back in 2010. Little did i know… pic.twitter.com/gyXs3LNxzW
"Your grit and determination for the game is something that everyone talks about and will talk about for generations to come. And deservedly so. But there was that other side of you, the funnier/naughtier/louder side, where we fought (sometimes violently) for every FIFA battle and took the longest to play every hand at the card game and argued on absolutely silly topics. Today, when you are putting an end to your illustrious career, I am super proud, although a bit emotional. I am super proud to call you my senior first, my colleague second, and my brother to round it all off," Unadkat added.
Unadkat then made his IPL debut under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy in Kolkata Knight Riders. The pacer has played 112 matches so far and taken 110 wickets in the IPL.
India Cricket Team
Kolkata Knight Riders
Jaydev Unadkat
Cheteshwar Pujara