‘Excited to have him in the same side’ - Cheteshwar Pujara on prospect of playing with Steve Smith at Sussex

Ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) finale and the all-important Ashes tour, Steve Smith has signed for county championship Division Two side Sussex to keep himself ready for a thrilling next couple of months on English soil.

Interestingly, veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has been named Sussex captain and it is likely that he will be seen batting with Smith for the team. Pujara stated that he had a word with Smith about the same and mentioned that he is excited to share the space with one of his biggest rivals in the longest format of the game.

“We have spoken, but most of the time we have played against each other. It is never for the same team, so it will be exciting to have him in the same side. I will try and get his thoughts, try and know him a little better,” Pujara told Sussex Cricket after the recent match against Gloucestershire.

“We will be playing WTC final, so it will be mixed feelings. On the field, we always have good battles, but off the field, we are good friends,” the 35-year-old added.

Smith a great influence to have in the team: Cheteshwar Pujara

Smith’s addition is good for Australia as he will be getting much-needed game time on English soil ahead of Ashes 2023. Meanwhile, Pujara, who is currently the leading run-scorer of Division 2, mentioned that they are eager to welcome Smith as he is a great influence to have in the team. 

“He's a great influence to have in the team. Will be looking forward to having him in the dressing room and trying to have a chat with him, learn from him, see how he prepares because he has a lot of experience (and) the amount of runs he has scored in Test cricket. All of us are looking forward to having him here and sharing his experience. He has a lot of knowledge about the game so it will be nice to have his inputs,” Pujara concluded.