Pujara to return to Sussex for 2023 County season

Sussex have retained the services of India Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara for the 2023 season, the County side announced on Monday.Pujara, who joined Sussex last year, made an enormous impact by scoring over 1000 County Championship runs, including a record breaking three double centuries and finished the season with an average of 109.4.The right-handed batter’s stupendous form continued into the 50-over Royal London Cup, where he led the side in the absence of injured Tom Haines and guided the team to the semi-finals of the competition.In his nine Royal London Cup appearances, Pujara averaged 89.14 at a strike-right of 111.62, with a highest score of 174 off just 131 balls against Surrey. ”I am glad to be back with Sussex for the 2023 season. I thoroughly enjoyed my last stint with the club last season, both on and off the field and I’m looking forward to contributing to the team’s growth and success in the coming year,” Pujara said in a statement issued by the county side. Sussex Performance Director, Keith Greenfield, added: ”It is fantastic news that Cheteshwar will be returning in 2023, we all saw the class he showed with the bat and his performances, but he was also outstanding in our young dressing room as a world class role model for them to follow.”