Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma, who first played together for India in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup, have shared a long cricketing journey. Though their partnership in Tests wasn’t as frequent due to Rohit’s inconsistent runs in the format, Pujara formed memorable alliances with other key players like Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli. Despite this, the bond between Pujara and Rohit remains strong.

One iconic moment came during the 2019 Test series against South Africa when Rohit’s unfiltered remark “Bhaag Pujji,” followed by an expletive, left a lasting impression. Even though they haven’t played together since 2021, the two still maintain close friends. Last year, during a press conference, Rohit humorously addressed Pujara’s absence. “Pujara is hiding somewhere in Rajkot. Let me clarify, Pujara hasn’t retired. You’ll get me killed.”

During the event marking the launch of The Diary of a Cricketer’s Wife by Pooja Pujara, Rohit Sharma reflected on a special memory from their tour of the West Indies. He recalled how, despite his advice, Pujara went ahead with a decision and later regretted it.

Rohit then turned to Pujara and said, “I’m sure that’s not in the book. Do you remember anything from the 2012 West Indies tour with India A? What happened there?” Pujara replied, “I haven’t really shared this with anyone. She is aware, but not the entire story. As a vegetarian, I was searching for a late-night meal while in Trinidad and Tobago. We went out around 11 PM but couldn’t find anything. On our way back, I was mugged. I can’t go into much detail, but that’s what he’s talking about.”

Rohit chimed in, saying, “The moral of the story is that he’s quite stubborn. We cautioned him, advising him not to go out after nightfall. We told him, “Stay inside after 9 PM. This is the West Indies.’”