Puja Pujara's memoir on life with husband Cheteshwar gets UK launch
London, Jul 19 (PTI) 'The Diary of a Cricketer's Wife' penned by Puja Pujara, capturing the journey of her husband Cheteshwar, found a hallowed introduction place at the Lord's Cricket Ground library and the author termed the book as 'something for everyone." In the book, Puja narrated the achievements and struggles of the India batter's international career that spanned between 2010 and 2023 from a wife's off-field perspective.
'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," said Pujara after the formal presentation of the book at the library.
The book also had a formal launch at the Nehru Centre in London on Friday.
'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," he said.
In the book, Puja has tried to capture the cricketer's 'unique" journey from the streets of Rajkot to international cricket while also giving a glimpse into his character as 'stubborn, yet accommodating, secretive but with nothing to hide".
'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," said Puja.
During an in-conversation session at the Nehru Centre, she shared the strong influence of the 'Bhagavad Gita' on the couple's life – 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, be more present because you don't want to get into the negativity," said Puja.
Asked about his future plans, Pujara said he is enjoying actively playing cricket and expects to be involved in the game in some form, whether it is commentary or coaching, in the longer term.
Pujara's last international match was the WTC Final between India and Australia at the Lord's in 2023.
'Besides that, we both enjoy travelling and while I am actively playing cricket we don't get time for a long break, it's always more of a staycation than a holiday. So, we want to travel around the world whenever it is possible," shared the Saurashtra cricketer.
Robert Lawson, Chief Executive and Secretary at the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), welcomed the addition of the new memoir to the Lord's extensive books' collection.
'It's a very courageous move by Cheteshwar Pujara himself and 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," said Lawson, as he received a copy of the book at the Lord's.
'When most of us look at cricketers, we only look at them as players on the field. But they have an important aspect of their lives outside of the playing arena and any focus on that deserves all the credit," said Sujit Ghosh, India's Deputy High Commissioner to the UK.
The book, published by HarperCollins, is now available through Amazon in the UK.
'This is the first time a sportsman's better half has presented his story in her words," said Sachin Sharma of HarperCollins. PTI AK UNG
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July 19, 2025, 15:15 IST
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