“I was mobbed,” Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara reveal stunning West Indies story

Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara revealed an untold story of Pujara getting mobbed in Trinidad while he was out during India's 2012 'A' tour.

“I was mobbed,” Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara reveal stunning West Indies story

Rohit Sharma revealed how Cheteshwar Pujara was mobbed in 2012, in the West Indies. (via X)

Indian cricket stars Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara revealed an untold story about the latter getting mobbed, during India ‘A’s tour of West Indies in 2012. Pujara disclosed that he encountered the mob, while he was out to find a meal for himself in Trinidad and Tobago. 

Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara most recently, linked up at a book launch event, in Mumbai. The two players engaged in a thoughtful conversation, alongside former India spinner Anil Kumble, at the launch event of Puja Pujara’s book. They covered a variety of subjects, including Sharma’s father’s reaction to his decision to retire from red-ball cricket, as well as old memories of Pujara and Sharma sharing the field.

Rohit Sharma jokingly asked Pujara if a particular incident from their 2012 India ‘A’ tour of the West Indies featured in the book written by his wife. Pujara’s response piqued the host’s curiosity, who then urged both cricketers to elaborate about the incident from the Carribean tour, where Pujara captained the team that included notable stars like Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Mohammed Shami.

The 37-year-old batter went on to exclaim that he being a vegetarian, following a match, ventured out of the team hotel to look for a meal at 11 pm, in Trinidad and Tobago. Pujara was accompanied by his other India ‘A’ teammates. He further disclosed that he could not find anything suitable to eat.

However, the most reminiscent part was when he was mobbed by a group outside the hotel while trying to return. Pujara stated (H/T SportsTak):

I’m a vegetarian, so we were looking for a vegetarian meal at night and it was in Trinidad and Tobago, where we went out at 11 in the evening. So, we didn’t find the meal but when we were walking back, I was mobbed.

In response to Pujara’s explanation, Rohit Sharma, hilariously chimed in by noting the moral of the story. He claimed that Pujara can be stubborn at times, and that he went out of the hotel, despite warnings that it was not safe for him to step out after 9 pm.

Nonetheless, upon hearing about the incident, all of the guests and the spectators shared a laugh, leaving Cheteshwar Pujara slightly embarrassed. He quipped:

Moral of the story, sometimes he [Pujara] can be stubborn. We told him, we warned him, don’t go in the night. Don’t go outside after 9pm, this is the West Indies.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma also went on to speak more about Pujara’s contributions for the Indian Test team. He even credited the 37-year-old batter for playing over 100 Test matches despite having suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on both his knees during the early part of his career. He played 103 matches and scored 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60, hitting 19 centuries and 35 half-centuries. 

However, after a string of disappointing performances, Pujara lost his place in the squad, with his last appearance being in 2023. Cheteshwar Pujara is still aiming for a comeback, and has put himself back in contention with a strong Ranji Trophy season, where he amassed 402 runs in just seven matches.

Rohit Sharma reveals hilarious message that helped Cheteshwar Pujara hit Nathan Lyon for a six in 2023

Former India Test captain Rohit Sharma opened up about a moment where he sent a hilarious message to help Cheteshwar Pujara hit a six off Nathan Lyon’s delivery, during the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The incident occurred during the third Test against Australia, in Indore. 

Cheteshwar Pujara six Rohit Sharma message
Rohit Sharma hilariously noted how his message helped Rohit Sharma hit a six off Nathan Lyon’s delivery, back in 2023. (via Indian Express)

Back in 2023 in Indore, India was struggling at 140 for 7 in the second innings, when skipper Rohit Sharma sent a message to on-field batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Axar Patel to shift gears. Sharma revealed that he asked Ishan Kishan to deliver the cheeky message to Pujara, which stated that ‘Nathan Lyon was not that good of a bowler to keep mid-on up’, signaling him to go for big shots:

I was like, ‘he’s not that good of a bowler to keep mid-on up’. I know it was a challenge, the pitch was turning square, but we needed to get runs quickly. So I had to send Ishan [Kishan]. – Rohit Sharma’s message to Cheteshwar Pujara.

A not-so-aggressive Cheteshwar Pujara immediately understood the instruction, and charged down the crease to smash Nathan Lyon for a six over mid-on. While India did go on to lose the match by nine wickets, Sharma’s message did unravel a different side of Pujara.