Pujara On Kohli Getting Slow To Get Hundred Vs BAN In World Cup: 'Put The Team First'

Pujara, who is Kohli's teammate in the Test side, said that the star India batter should have looked to finish the India vs Bangladesh match sooner to help further boost the NRR.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli. (Source: X)

India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has made a big statement on the controversy surrounding Virat Kohli after his hundred vs Bangladesh in Cricket World Cup 2023. Kohli, who hit an unbeaten 103, slowed down as he approached the 100 mark. Later, KL Rahul, his batting partner said that it was him who told Kohli that he deserved the century. India's No 3, as per Rahul was 'confused' about playing for a century. But on Rahul's insistence went for the hundred.

Kohli's critics point out that India should have finished the match in quicker time despite the fact the game was over in under 43 overs. The arguement is that wen a team finishes the match quicker, it positivelt affects the Net Run Rate (NRR), which could play a crucial role in qualifying for the semi-finals at the fag end of the league stage. 

Pujara believes that over here Kohli and Rahul should have looked to finish the game sooner. The Test specialist said that he is all for Kohli's hundred but the team should look to finish the match as soon as possible. "As much I wanted Virat Kohli to score that hundred, you have to keep in mind, you want to finish the game as early as possible. You want your Net Run Rate to be at the top. If you are in a position where you are fighting for the Net Run Rate, then you don't want to look back and say 'you could have done that'," Cheteshwar Pujara told ESPN Cricinfo.

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Pujara said that sometimes a hundred helps you perform well in the next match and it is the mindset that decides what should be the approach. "That's where I feel that as a collective decision, maybe you have to sacrifice a bit. You want to look at the team, you want to put the team first, that's how I look at it. You want your milestone, but not at the cost of the team. As a player, you always have a choice. But some players feel if they get a hundred, it helps them in the next game. So it depends on what kind of mindset you have," he added.

Matthew Hayden, however, said that he did not have problem with the hundred as this milestones help you do well in big tournaments. He said that the call to get to a hundred was mutual and it is okay to do that. "My initial reaction was he has earned the right to get to his hundred. You have got to be very careful in these tournaments. These things matter. The great Ian Bishop often talks about this, these things matter. The sporting gods are sinister-like, if you start flirting with that sort of form, then it can bit you. But it's a decision that they both took. I don't really have a problem with that." Hayden said.