On Friday, the national selectors announced the squads for the ICC World T20 2012 and also for the Test series against the Black Caps, which commences on August 23, at Hyderabad, with the right-handed batsman from Gujarat making a comeback.
Pujara made his way to international cricket in 2010, against Australia, scoring a match-winning half-century on debut to display his skills. So far, he has just played three Test matches, having struggled with different fitness issues.
The retirement of Rahul Dravid, the former Indian captain, has given another opportunity to the stylish batsman to showcase his talent and cement his place in the team.
The 24-year-old cricketer is delighted to be back in international cricket and claims to be fit and raring to take on the Kiwis. The right-hander is optimistic about doing well in the upcoming battle.
"I am very happy to be back in Team India. I have worked very hard on regaining my fitness," said Pujara. "I am fully fit now and have completely recovered from my injury. I have to prove my form, too. And I am pretty confident of doing very well."
Pujara led India ‘A’ in their tour of West Indies earlier this year and performed well with the bat, scoring three half-centuries, although his side lost the series. With 252 runs in three encounters, the batsman remained the top run-getter of the series, strengthening his case for national selection.
Returning to the Test team after 18 months, the right-hander expressed that the time away from international cricket was very tough for him and has made him a stronger individual. Pujara is now hungry for runs at the highest level of the sport to make amends for the lost time.
"I was out of action for six months. And I have learnt many things during this time. I think I am more mature now. I am keen to prove my worth all over again and want to make up for the opportunities missed owning to my bad luck," he added.
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