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Ravi Shastri Jokes Pujara Would’ve Chased Him with Bat Over Reverse Sweep

Ravi Shastri made a light-hearted remark that Cheteshwar Pujara would have chased him with a bat if asked to practice the reverse-sweep during his coaching tenure. Pujara responded that the shot would not have suited his Test batting style, risking his stumps. The playful exchange occurred during commentary of the MI vs SRH IPL 2026 match. Pujara, who retired in August 2025, is regarded as one of India’s finest Test batters with 7,195 runs.

Key Points: Shastri’s Bat Joke with Pujara on Reverse Sweep

  • Shastri jokes Pujara would resist reverse-sweep practice
  • Pujara says shot would risk his stumps in Tests
  • Exchange during Klaasen’s switch-hit six in MI vs SRH IPL match
  • Pujara retired in Aug 2025 with 7,195 Test runs
2 min read

"You would've come running after me with a bat": Shastri's light-hearted remark about Pujara's reverse sweep skills

Ravi Shastri jokes Cheteshwar Pujara would have chased him with a bat if asked to practice reverse-sweep. Pujara explains why the shot didn’t suit his Test style.

"Pujara, if I had told you to practise the reverse sweep three years ago, you would have come running after me with a bat. - Ravi Shastri"

Mumbai, April 30

Former India captain and head coach Ravi Shastri made a light-hearted remark about one of India's finest Test batters ever, Cheteshwar Pujara, joking that the batter would have resisted practising the reverse-sweep during his playing days.

The playful exchange between Shastri and Pujara occurred during commentary when Shastri made the remark after watching Heinrich Klaasen switch-hit a delivery from Allah Ghazanfar for a huge six into the second tier of the Wankhede Stadium stands during the Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match on Wednesday.

Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Champions Waali Commentary', JioStar expert Ravi Shastri jokingly said that Cheteshwar Pujara would have strongly resisted practising the reverse-sweep during the former's coaching tenure.

Notably, Shastri coached the Indian team from 2017 to 2021.

Shastri said, "When I was a coach, Pujara, if I had told you to practise the reverse sweep three years ago, you would have come running after me with a bat. Isn't it?"

Cheteshwar Pujara explained that the reverse sweep would not have suited his Test batting style, saying he likely would have been dismissed playing it and struggled to score runs with such an unorthodox shot.

"Ravi bhai, if I had played such a shot in a Test match, I wouldn't have been able to score runs. All three of my stumps would have been knocked over, because it was very difficult for me to execute that shot," Pujara said.

Pujara, with 7,195 Test runs for India in 103 matches, is hailed by many as one of the best-ever Test batters that India has produced. He was known during his career for his strong defensive technique and classical, textbook-style shot selection. The right-hand batter retired from all forms of cricket in August 2025.

Coming to the MI vs SRH IPL 2026 match, the Sunrisers defeated the five-time IPL champions by six wickets after chasing down a massive score of 243.

SRH, with the help of Travis Head (76 off 30 balls), Heinrich Klaasen (65* off 30 balls), Abhishek Sharma (45 off 24 balls) and Salil Arora (30* off 10 balls), chased down the massive total with eight balls remaining.

Head and Abhishek formed a 129-run first-wicket partnership off just 52 balls, setting up a brilliant platform for the rest of the batting line-up. Earlier, the Mumbai Indians, on the back of a powerful 55-ball unbeaten 123-run knock off the bat of Ryan Rickelton, scored 243/5 in 20 overs after electing to bat first.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
This is so wholesome! Two legends of Indian cricket having a fun banter. Pujara's self-awareness is amazing — he knew his limitations and played to his strengths. That's why he scored 7000+ Test runs. Modern T20 players could learn a thing or two about knowing your game!
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Michael C
As a cricket fan from Australia, I absolutely loved watching Pujara bat. He was the ultimate Test match warrior — would frustrate bowlers for hours. Shastri's comment is pure gold, but imagine Pujara trying to reverse sweep Pat Cummins or Mitchell Starc! 😄
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Nisha Z
Really nice to see this light moment between Ravi and Pujara. Indian cricket has produced so many unique characters — Pujara the wall, and Shastri the motivator. Also, that MI vs SRH match was crazy! 243 chased down with 8 balls left? IPL is just on another level these days.
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Rohit L
Respect to both! But let's be real — Pujara's strength was his defense, not flashy shots. If he'd tried reverse sweeps in Tests, his average would've dropped from 45 to 25 easily. That said, Shastri's comment shows he's a fun guy off the field. Miss seeing Pujara in the Indian Test XI though! 🏏
S
Sarah B
Love this exchange! It's refreshing to see cricket legends joking around rather than getting into serious debates. Pujara's honesty is admirable — he admitted the reverse sweep wouldn't work for him. That's the mark of a player who truly understands his

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