Pujara Says IPL Fame Needs Strong Cricket Basics

Cricket can make a teenager famous before he has learnt how to handle a bad week.

That is the sharp little warning Cheteshwar Pujara has sent to India’s next wave of players. The former India Test batter says the IPL gives young cricketers a fast ticket to attention, but staying there needs something less glamorous: a solid base, regular improvement, and patience.

Pujara knows this better than most. His career was built on leaving balls, taking blows, and batting for time. So when he looks at T20’s teenage buzz, he is not dismissing it. He is asking one simple question: what happens after the first big season?

Young stars need deeper roots

Pujara spoke about players such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre, who represent the new face of Indian cricket. They are entering a sport where fame arrives quickly, especially if one innings goes viral.

His advice is plain. Young players need strong basics if they want long careers. Even in T20 cricket, he said, there is a method. Hitting hard is not enough. Batters must keep working on technique, shot selection, and game awareness.

That point matters because cricket now studies players brutally. Analysts cut videos, track weak zones, and plan dismissals in detail. A batter who looks fresh in one season can look exposed in the next.

Pujara said Vaibhav has played well over the last 2 years. But the real test will come over the next 5 seasons. If he keeps delivering, he can move from promising player to top-class player.

IPL fame is only the start

For a young Indian cricketer, the IPL is no longer just a tournament. It is an audition, a classroom, and sometimes a pressure cooker.

Pujara accepts its value. He said the league gives India new players and tough match practice. Close matches, packed stadiums, and strong opponents help youngsters mature faster than domestic cricket alone can manage.

But he also reminded them that the IPL should not become the final dream. The bigger target, he said, must be playing for India and winning trophies.

That is a useful reminder in an age of franchise contracts and instant branding. A player can earn money, followers, and headlines before wearing the India shirt. But Indian cricket still measures greatness through national moments.

Pujara pointed to upcoming global tournaments, including the ODI World Cup cycle and regular T20 World Cups. His message was clear. Perform for your franchise, yes. But keep India’s trophies at the centre of the ambition.

For fans, this is not a small thing. They enjoy the IPL’s noise, but they remember World Cup heartbreaks longer. The next generation will carry that burden.

Selection should follow form

Pujara also weighed in on the old selection debate: should India back seniors or move quickly to younger T20 players?

His answer was balanced. Pick players on performance, not age. If youngsters are doing well and experienced players are not improving, selectors must consider changes. But if seniors are performing strongly, dropping them only because they are older makes little sense.

That sounds simple, but Indian cricket rarely finds this easy. Every transition brings emotion. Fans attach loyalty to big names. Selectors look at fitness, form, role clarity, and dressing-room balance.

Pujara’s view gives room for both. A good Indian team needs young energy and senior calm. T20 cricket rewards speed, but big tournaments still test temperament.

The selection room will feel this even more now. India has enough IPL performers to fill several squads. The hard job is not spotting talent. The hard job is choosing who can handle pressure when the trophy is on the line.

T20 is not Test cricket’s enemy

Pujara rejected the simple claim that the IPL has damaged Test cricket. That answer carries weight because he built his reputation in the longest format.

He argued that the IPL has helped India find players who later became major Test cricketers. He named Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami as examples of players who grew through the IPL route and later shaped India’s red-ball attack.

That is a fair point. The IPL has changed fast bowling in India. Young pacers now bowl to elite batters under lights, with every error punished. They learn yorkers, slower balls, field plans, and nerve.

The issue is not T20 itself. The issue is whether players can adjust across formats. A Test batter must leave well and defend for long periods. A T20 batter must attack early. A modern India player may need both minds in the same season.

Pujara’s larger point is that India cannot ignore T20 if it wants to compete globally. The format brings money, attention, and talent. The task is to ensure it feeds the larger system, instead of swallowing it.

Mumbai Indians still have answers

Pujara also spoke about Mumbai Indians, whose uneven run has drawn plenty of attention. He admitted their performance had dipped, but did not call it a crisis.

He said their strong win over Lucknow showed they still had a comeback in them. For a side with Mumbai’s history, one result can shift the mood quickly.

His suggestion was practical. The players need to sit together, assess plans, and rebuild rhythm as a group. Sometimes, he said, form simply goes missing. Once the players return to touch, they can become very hard to stop.

That is how franchise cricket often works. A team can look broken for 2 weeks, then dangerous after 1 clean chase or 1 sharp bowling spell. Confidence moves fast in the IPL.

For Mumbai, the question is whether that recovery can come early enough. With 10 teams fighting for playoff spots, slow starts now hurt more than they once did.

Pujara has now moved into commentary too, and he said that shift has required study. Playing gave him instinct. Commentary asks for preparation on many players, including Indians, overseas names, youngsters, and veterans.

That detail says something about his larger message. Whether in the middle or behind the microphone, cricket now rewards those who keep updating themselves.

For young players, that may be the real lesson. The first six over extra cover can make them famous. The next 5 seasons will decide whether fans remember their name with respect. In Indian cricket, applause comes quickly. Staying worthy of it is the harder innings.