LONDON: Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is to return to English county Sussex for the 2023 season, the south coast club announced on Monday.

The 34-year-old enjoyed a brilliant 2022 campaign with Sussex, scoring 1,094 County Championship runs at a huge average of 109.40 in just eight appearances His form helped Pujara, who also led Sussex in the One-Day Cup, regain his Test place and he is now looking forward to returning to Hove.

“I am glad to be back with Sussex for the 2023 season,” Pujara, a veteran of 96 Tests, said in a club statement.

“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.”

Sussex performance director Keith Greenfield added: “It is fantastic news that Cheteshwar will be returning, 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.” Despite Pujara’s run-spree, however, Sussex still finished second-bottom in the Second Division of the County Championship after winning just one of their 14 matches.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2022