Rohit Sharma, the ODI captain of Team India, recently reminisced about his early playing days, fondly recalling a humorous story involving veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara. The 38-year-old spoke about how Pujara was incredibly difficult to dismiss in red-ball cricket, even though the team meetings before matches would focus on strategies to get him out. Rohit also remembered his mother commenting on how his face would change colour after facing Pujara’s team, as the batter would really test his skills.

Rohit recalled these moments during the launch event of Pujara’s wife’s book, as reported by NDTV.

“I clearly remember that our team meetings always focused on how to get him out. If we couldn’t dismiss him, we knew we were likely to lose the match. One thing I recall is that when I was 14, I’d head to the ground in the morning and return in the evening, and the colour of my face would be completely different,” Rohit said.

“He would bat for hours, and we’d be fielding under the sun for two or three days straight. I remember my mother asking me several times why I looked different when I left for matches compared to when I came back after a week or 10 days. I’d tell her, ‘Mom, what can I do? He would bat for three straight days, and that’s how I first came to know him,” he continued.

Pujara is one of the top performers in first-class cricket, amassing 21,301 runs at an average of 51.82, including 66 centuries.