Pujara Urges Young IPL Stars To Build Solid Base

Fame now reaches a young cricketer before his kit bag dries after training.

One big IPL night, one viral six, one clip shared across phones, and a teenager can become a national name by breakfast. That is the thrill of modern Indian cricket. It is also the trap Cheteshwar Pujara is warning about.

Pujara, one of India’s most patient Test batters, has a simple message for the next batch. Popularity comes fast in cricket. Respect takes much longer. And staying there needs a stronger base than one good season.

Pujara’s warning for young stars

Pujara spoke about players such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre, who represent a new cricketing age. They are growing up in a system where IPL form can change a life quickly.

His advice was not romantic. It was practical. If these players want long careers, they need a solid cricketing foundation.

That means technique, game awareness, fitness, temperament, and the hunger to keep learning. T20 may look like a format of instinct, but Pujara made the sharper point. Even T20 has a method.

Today, every batter lives under a microscope. Analysts cut old videos, study scoring areas, and find dismissal patterns. Bowlers do not just run in with hope anymore. They arrive with plans.

So a young batter who relies only on hand-eye skill will soon get tested. Bowlers will drag him wider. They will cramp him. They will slow the ball. They will force him into shots he does not like.

That is why Pujara’s line about “foundation” matters. It sounds old school, but it is not outdated. It is survival advice.

IPL fame can fade quickly

The IPL has become India’s biggest talent shop window. It can turn a domestic player into a household name in 3 overs. It can also expose him just as fast.

Pujara pointed out that Vaibhav has already shown promise over the last couple of years. But the real test, he said, comes over the next 5 seasons.

That is the difference between a good player and a great one. Anyone can have a hot run. Only the serious ones repeat it when teams have studied them.

This is where young cricketers face a very Indian pressure. Families, agents, fans, selectors, franchises, and social media all enter the picture at once. A player who was taking local trains not long ago may suddenly carry a brand deal and a million opinions.

For a teenager, that can be dizzying. One poor match can bring trolling. One good innings can bring wild comparisons. Neither helps much.

Pujara’s career offers the opposite model. He built slowly. He made his name through long innings, bruised fingers, and stubborn judgment outside off stump. Not every player must bat like him. But every player can learn from his patience.

Selection must follow performance

Pujara also gave a balanced answer on India’s T20 selection debate. The question is familiar now. Should India move fully towards youth, or keep senior players if they still perform?

His answer was clear. Pick players on performance.

If young players are doing well and senior players are not improving, selectors must look at alternatives. But if experienced players are still contributing, age alone should not push them out.

That sounds simple, but Indian cricket rarely treats it simply. Every big tournament brings noise around transition. Fans want fresh faces after a loss. They want experience after a collapse.

The smarter route lies somewhere in between. A T20 side needs fearlessness, yes. It also needs players who understand pressure.

The next World Cup cycle will make this question sharper. India will need players who can handle franchise cricket, international travel, high expectations, and knockout matches.

Pujara’s larger point was that young players should not see IPL success as the final destination. They should dream of winning trophies for India.

That matters because franchise cricket can pay well and build fame quickly. But international cricket still defines legacy in this country. A strong IPL season opens the door. What a player does in India colours decides the deeper story.

T20 is not the enemy

Pujara rejected the easy complaint that IPL has damaged Test cricket. He argued that the league has also given India major red-ball players.

He mentioned Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami as examples of cricketers who grew through the IPL system and later became central to India’s Test plans.

That is an important correction. The problem is not T20 by itself. The problem comes when players stop building complete games.

For bowlers, IPL can be a brutal finishing school. They bowl at the death, defend small boundaries, and learn under pressure. A young pacer who survives that can gain serious confidence.

For batters, the format teaches range and courage. But if they ignore defensive skill and patience, the same format can narrow them.

India’s cricket future will not come from choosing between IPL and Test cricket. It will come from producing players who can move between formats without losing their core game.

That is easier said than done. The calendar is crowded. Players travel constantly. Recovery time is thin. Coaches and selectors must now protect talent as much as they promote it.

Commentary shows another side

Pujara is now also working in the commentary box through a Hindi digital feed during the IPL. For a player known as quiet and composed on the field, this is a different craft.

He said talking cricket is not difficult for him. The harder part is studying players closely enough to explain them well to viewers.

That means looking at how a player has performed, how he has changed, and what his current form says. In a league with Indian youngsters, overseas stars, and seasoned campaigners, that homework matters.

His comments on Mumbai Indians also carried that player’s eye. He accepted that their form had dipped, but did not call it a crisis. After their win over Lucknow, he felt they still had enough quality.

His point was that Mumbai’s players needed to sit together, plan better, and wait for form to return. When strong players find rhythm, he said, stopping them becomes difficult.

That is the seasoned professional speaking. Fans see points tables. Players see dressing-room confidence, small tactical calls, and whether a team still believes.

Pujara’s message to young cricketers is really a message to Indian cricket itself. Enjoy the bright lights, but do not be fooled by them. The game still rewards repeat work, clear thinking, and the ability to stay hungry after applause. For every young player dreaming of India, the first viral moment is only the beginning. The real career starts the morning after.