Pujara Warns Young Cricketers Fame Needs Strong Base

A teenager can become a cricket celebrity before he has learnt how to handle silence.

That is the strange bargain of modern Indian cricket. One IPL innings can bring followers, sponsors, praise, memes, and pressure. Cheteshwar Pujara knows the other side of that bargain. His message to India’s new batting kids is simple: fame comes fast, staying good is the hard part.

Pujara, now also working on JioHotstar’s Hindi digital cricket feed, says young players need a strong base. Not just shots. Not just confidence. A real method, because cricket now studies you before you even settle in.

Pujara’s warning for young stars

Pujara was asked about names like Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre, part of a generation growing up in public view.

His answer had the calm weight of a man who made a career by refusing panic. He said young players must build solid foundations if they want long careers.

That sounds old-fashioned, but it matters even more now. In T20 cricket, bowlers do not wait for mystery. Teams break down batting videos, find weak zones, and plan dismissals.

A young batter may smash 40 off 18 balls once. The question is what happens when every analyst in the league knows his favourite shot.

Pujara said popularity arrives quickly in cricket. But a player has to protect that reputation with consistency. That is the tougher exam.

He pointed out that Vaibhav has done well over the last couple of years. But the real jump, Pujara said, comes if he keeps producing over 5 seasons.

That is the difference between a good player and a very good one. Indian cricket has seen both kinds. Some arrive like fireworks. Others build like monsoon dams.

IPL fame is not enough

Pujara did not dismiss the IPL. Far from it. He accepted its importance in shaping young Indian talent.

But he drew a clear line. Young players, he said, should not stop at becoming IPL names. They must dream of playing for Team India and winning trophies.

That is a useful reminder at a time when franchise cricket can feel like the main stage. The IPL pays well, travels well, and turns unknown players into household names.

But an India cap still tests a cricketer differently. There is no auction paddle behind it. There is a different noise, a different weight, and a different memory.

Pujara mentioned the coming ODI World Cup cycle and the regular churn of T20 World Cups. His point was not sentimental. It was practical.

If India’s young players want longer careers, they need a wider game. They must fit into different formats, conditions, and roles.

A batter who only knows one gear can thrill a crowd. A batter who can change gears can win tournaments.

That is where young professionals in any field may understand the point. Early attention is exciting. But a career gets made when the first applause fades.

Selection must follow performance

Pujara also took a balanced view on the old debate: should senior players stay in T20 sides when younger players are pushing hard?

His answer was performance-first. If young players do well and experienced players keep failing, selectors should consider options.

But he also warned against removing seniors only because of age. If older players are still performing, dropping them for being older makes little cricketing sense.

This is the selection-room tension Indian cricket knows well. Fans often want a clean break. Teams rarely work that way.

A good side usually needs both. Youth brings energy, fearlessness, and new skills. Seniors bring calm in tight games and memory of pressure.

Pujara’s argument is not about protecting anyone. It is about picking teams on evidence.

That evidence can include runs, wickets, fitness, fielding, and role clarity. A finisher should not be judged like an opener. A powerplay bowler should not be measured like a death bowler.

In a 10-team IPL, the sample size has become richer. More Indian players face bigger moments more often. Close matches harden them quickly.

Pujara believes that pressure helps young players. When games go deep, players learn things that net sessions cannot teach.

Test cricket still has room

One expected question followed Pujara, as it always does. Has the IPL damaged Test cricket?

He did not accept that simple reading. He said the IPL has actually given India players who later became Test match-winners.

He cited Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami as examples of players who grew through the IPL and then shaped India’s red-ball attack.

That is an important point. T20 cricket and Test cricket can pull in different directions. But they do not always fight each other.

The IPL gives young players exposure to high pressure, better coaching, sharper fitness standards, and international dressing rooms. A 20-year-old learns faster when he faces elite batters under lights.

The danger comes when a player’s game becomes too narrow. Test cricket still asks old questions. Can you leave the ball? Can you bowl long spells? Can you bat when runs dry up?

Pujara built his reputation on those questions. So when he talks about foundations, he is not asking T20 players to bat like him.

He is asking them to know their game deeply. Even in T20, method matters. The best hitters are not just swinging. They are choosing.

Mumbai’s slump needs strategy

Pujara was also asked about Mumbai Indians and their uneven form.

He accepted that Mumbai have struggled. But he did not call it a crisis. He pointed to their strong win against Lucknow as a sign of recovery.

His advice was straightforward. The players need to sit together and plan better.

That may sound simple, but in franchise cricket, simple things often decide seasons. Roles must be clear. Batting orders need trust. Bowlers need defined overs.

Sometimes, Pujara said, players are out of form. But once they return to rhythm, stopping Mumbai becomes difficult.

That view fits Mumbai’s history. This is a franchise used to slow starts, pressure, and late surges. But reputation does not win matches by itself.

For fans, the wider lesson is familiar. A famous team and a famous player face the same problem. Past success buys time, not points.

Indian cricket is entering a phase where the next big star may be 14, 17, or 20. The spotlight will find him before he finds himself. Pujara’s advice cuts through the noise: enjoy the fame, but build the game. The next 5 seasons, not the next viral clip, will tell us who is built to last.