London, Jul 19 – Puja Pujara’s memoir, ‘The Diary of a Cricketer’s Wife,’ detailing the journey of her husband, Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara, has been officially introduced at the Lord’s Cricket Ground library. Puja describes the book as “something for everyone,” offering insights into her husband’s international cricket career from 2010 to 2023 through a wife’s perspective.

Pujara expressed his gratitude, stating, “It was a real honour to be invited to ring the bell at the Home of Cricket during Day 3 of the third Test between India and England and also present a copy of this memoir at Lord’s.” The book had its formal launch at the Nehru Centre in London on Friday.

Cheteshwar Pujara praised the memoir, saying, “She has put together my entire journey, which even if I was writing an autobiography myself, I wouldn’t have done that. She has captured all the moments, good and bad, very candidly.” The book chronicles his unique journey from the streets of Rajkot to the international cricket stage, portraying his character as “stubborn, yet accommodating, secretive but with nothing to hide.”

Puja emphasized the book’s universal appeal, stating, “The story is something for everyone. It’s not just for cricket followers but anybody who picks up the book will find it interesting and will relate to some portion of the book in some way and get inspired.” During a discussion at the Nehru Centre, she highlighted the influence of the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ on their lives, both on and off the field. “Try and be in the present as present is everything and you can only control what is in your control – we try and relate to these teachings and practice it because the ‘Gita’ helps us stay more positive,” she added.

Regarding his future, Pujara shared his enjoyment of actively playing cricket and his aspirations to remain involved in the sport through commentary or coaching. His last international match was the WTC Final against Australia at Lord’s in 2023. He mentioned, “Besides that, we both enjoy travelling, and while I am actively playing cricket, we don’t get time for a long break. So, we want to travel around the world whenever it is possible.”

Robert Lawson, Chief Executive and Secretary at the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), welcomed the memoir into the Lord’s extensive collection, calling it a courageous move by Cheteshwar Pujara. He noted, “It’s terrific that Puja feels so empowered to be able to write this and be an inspiration for everyone involved in the game, especially for women.” Sujit Ghosh, India’s Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, remarked on the importance of recognizing the lives of cricketers beyond the field, stating, “When most of us look at cricketers, we only look at them as players on the field.”

Published by HarperCollins, ‘The Diary of a Cricketer’s Wife’ is now available on Amazon in the UK. Sachin Sharma of HarperCollins noted, “This is the first time a sportsman’s better half has presented his story in her words.”