Pujara urges young IPL stars to build lasting game

Cricket can make a teenager famous before he has learnt how fame behaves.

That was the warning Cheteshwar Pujara offered to India’s next wave of cricketers. His point was simple. A big IPL season can put a young player on every phone screen. Staying there takes something less glamorous: a solid base, repeatable skills, and the patience to keep improving.

Pujara, now also speaking from the commentary box, has seen both sides of Indian cricket. He has lived the slow grind of Test cricket. He now watches a faster sport produce stars almost overnight.

Fame arrives faster than form

Pujara said young players such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre must build strong foundations if they want long careers.

That sounds old-fashioned in a T20 age. But it is probably more relevant now than ever. Bowlers, analysts and coaches study every ball. A batter’s old videos become a map for rival teams.

If a young player has one scoring area, teams block it. If he struggles against one length, bowlers repeat it. If he cannot adjust after early success, the game catches up quickly.

Pujara’s advice is not anti-T20. He knows the format has changed careers and incomes. His argument is sharper than that. T20 also has a method. It is not only hitting sixes.

A batter still needs balance, judgement and scoring options. A bowler still needs control under pressure. Fielders cannot hide anymore. In a 10-team league, every weakness travels fast.

Pujara said Suryavanshi has done well over the past 2 years. But the real test comes over the next 5 seasons. That is when a good player can become a very good player.

This is the part fans often miss. One season creates headlines. Five seasons create trust.

India still remains the big dream

Pujara also made one point that young players should not ignore. The IPL matters, but India must remain the bigger goal.

He said players should dream of playing for Team India and winning trophies. That matters because modern cricket pulls young talent in many directions.

Franchise cricket offers money, visibility and a packed calendar. International cricket offers legacy, pressure and public memory. Indian fans enjoy both, but they remember World Cups differently.

Pujara pointed to the ODI World Cup and regular T20 World Cups. For him, the aim should be clear. Do well for your IPL team, but play to help India win.

That is a timely message. India’s talent pool is now huge. Every IPL season throws up batters who clear boundaries and bowlers who clock serious pace.

Yet selection is no longer only about raw talent. India need players who can handle travel, scrutiny, formats and roles. A youngster may bat at No. 3 for his franchise and No. 6 for India.

That adjustment separates hype from value. Pujara’s career was built on role clarity. He knew what India needed from him. Today’s young players must learn that lesson faster.

Selection cannot be only about age

Pujara also spoke plainly about the senior-versus-junior debate in T20 cricket.

His view was balanced. Pick players on performance. If young players perform and senior players keep struggling, selectors must look at options.

But he also said age alone should not push an experienced player out. If a senior cricketer performs well, he still deserves a place.

That is a sensible line in a country that swings between extremes. After one poor series, fans demand retirements. After one IPL knock, they demand instant debuts.

Selection rooms do not work that simply. They look at roles, match-ups, fitness, recent form and tournament needs. They also weigh pressure.

A 19-year-old may look fearless in April. A World Cup knockout in front of millions is a different exam.

At the same time, senior players cannot live forever on past reputation. Pujara’s point cuts both ways. Reputation opens the door, but performance keeps it open.

This is where Indian cricket faces a good problem. The bench looks stronger than before. But fitting juniors and seniors into one clear plan remains the real art.

IPL strengthens the Test pipeline

Pujara rejected the idea that the IPL has automatically weakened Test cricket.

He pointed to Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami as examples of players who grew through the IPL and became major Test performers.

That matters because the old debate often sounds lazy. T20 did not kill skill. It changed how skill gets spotted.

A young fast bowler can now face elite batters under lights before a massive crowd. A young batter can learn to attack quality pace and spin much earlier.

Yes, Test cricket still demands patience. It asks bowlers to return for second and third spells. It asks batters to leave balls, absorb pressure and rebuild after failure.

But the IPL can harden players too. Close games teach pressure. Packed stadiums teach noise. Video analysis teaches constant correction.

Pujara said India need T20 cricket to compete with the world. That is not a concession. It is the reality of modern cricket.

The challenge is balance. Players must not become one-format products too early. Coaches must help them build skills that travel from a 20-over chase to a 5-day grind.

Mumbai Indians need a reset

Pujara also discussed Mumbai Indians, whose uneven form has drawn attention.

He accepted that their performances had dipped, but did not call it a crisis. He noted that their strong win against Lucknow showed they could fight back.

His suggestion was basic but telling. The players need to sit together and plan clearly. In a league this tight, that matters.

Mumbai have a history of slow starts and late surges. But past patterns do not win current matches. Teams now study match-ups more deeply. Weak overs get punished.

When a big franchise struggles, the noise gets louder. Captains face questions. Senior players face scrutiny. Younger players can feel the weight of the badge.

Pujara’s reading was calmer. Sometimes players lose form together. When they find rhythm, he said, they can become hard to stop.

That line captures the IPL well. Momentum can look mysterious from outside. Inside a dressing room, it often comes from small fixes: batting order, bowling plans, fielding energy.

For fans, Pujara’s message is a useful reminder. The IPL is brilliant theatre, but careers are not built in highlight reels alone. India’s next stars will need power, yes. They will also need memory, method and humility. The boys who learn that early may last long after the first burst of fame has faded.