Best playing XI of the Duleep Trophy 2016

3. Cheteshwar Pujara – India Blue:

The difference of watching a Test cricketer and a domestic talent clearly visible when Cheteshwar Pujara was batting for India Blue. Fresh from his international duty, he wasted no time and made himself available for the selection in order to get some match practice ahead of the home series against New Zealand.

It seemed that he had come with a single mindset – to score as many runs as possible in the two games. In his first outing, he gave India Green bowlers a really tough time and smashed 166 in the first innings itself. He was less fortunate in the second innings and could make only 31.

But, that was, by no means an opportunity to underestimate him. Pujara came back strongly in the finals against India Red and piled on a record-breaking double ton in the first innings. His unbeaten 256 helped his side easily to a massive win and also earned him a man of the match award. He was so majestic in the tournament that it needed him just two games to surpass his teammates Mayank Agarwal, Gautam Gambhir and finish as the highest run-getter of the tournament.