Indian cricket player Cheteshwar Pujara has been named the interim captain for Sussex in the forthcoming County Championships. The decision comes after regular skipper Tom Haines was ruled out due to an injury sustained while batting against Leicestershire. Haines broke a bone in his hand and will be out of contention for 5-6 weeks. In his absence, Pujara has been named the captain of the team.
Pujara represented Sussex in the previous season and was one of the best players for the side. As the interim skipper, Pujara will be keen to repeat his performances in the forthcoming County Championships. He played for Sussex after India did not select him to play against Sri Lanka in February 2022. However, through resilient and excellent performances in the domestic circuit, the veteran batter made his way back into the Indian team.
Pujara also played at the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023, where India beat Australia 2-1. Sussex would hope that Pujara will fully immerse himself in the role of skipper and lead the side to greater heights.
Following Pujara’s appointment as Sussex captain, the head coach of the side, Ian Salisbury, expressed his faith in the 35-year-old’s abilities. Salisbury believes that Pujara will lead the team quite efficiently, given his vast experience in international and domestic cricket, proving he is a natural leader.
“Puj was very keen to step up in the absence of Tom, he sees the potential in this side and has been a natural leader ever since he joined. Finny did a brilliant job for us after Tom was injured and will remain the senior figure among our bowlers,” Salisbury was quoted as saying by Sussex Cricket.”By having a batter take up the role, it means Finn can focus on leading our attack. Puj is a vastly experienced and quality person who I know will do a fantastic job,” he added.