Hazlewood refused to bowl to Pujara in CSK nets after BGT battles
Synopsis
Josh Hazlewood once refused to bowl to Cheteshwar Pujara in CSK nets — not out of hostility, but because he’d already bowled 'far too much' at him across two Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. The anecdote, shared on JioHotstar’s 'Cheeky Singles', is a rare, light-hearted glimpse into the respect that defined one of Test cricket’s most compelling fast-bowler-versus-batsman rivalries.
Key Takeaways
Cheteshwar Pujara revealed that Josh Hazlewood jokingly refused to bowl to him during CSK net sessions in the IPL .
Hazlewood cited their prolonged battles across the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in 2018/19 and 2020/21 as his humorous reason.
Pujara played 103 Tests for India and was a key figure in both of India's historic series wins in Australia .
Pujara also recalled a 'fanboy moment' when meeting Shah Rukh Khan during his time at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) .
He emphasised that franchise environment and cricketing opportunity matter more than celebrity ownership when choosing a team.
Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has recalled a humorous exchange with Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood during their time as teammates at Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) — where Hazlewood jokingly refused to bowl to him in the nets, citing exhaustion from their prolonged Test battles.
The Net Incident That Captures a Rivalry
Pujara, who played 103 Tests for India, described the moment on JioHotstar's series 'Cheeky Singles'. 'During the Australia series in 2018 and 2021, I played a lot against Josh Hazlewood. Then I got picked by CSK. The first time I went to bat in the nets, Hazlewood refused to bowl to me. He said, ‘I won’t bowl to him.’ Even though he was my teammate, he refused,' Pujara recounted.
Hazlewood's reasoning, delivered in jest, was that he had 'bowled to me far too much over the previous few months before the IPL, so he wasn’t going to bowl to me again.' Pujara noted that while it was said in jest, Hazlewood genuinely did not bowl to him in that session.
The BGT Context Behind the Joke
The anecdote carries weight given its backdrop. Pujara was central to India's historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy series victories in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21 — two of the most celebrated overseas wins in Indian cricket history. He absorbed enormous workloads from the Australian pace attack, with Hazlewood among those who bowled extensively at him across both campaigns. The refusal in the CSK nets, however tongue-in-cheek, reflects the intensity of those duels.
The Shah Rukh Khan 'Fanboy Moment'
Pujara also opened up about his early IPL days with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where he encountered co-owner and actor-producer Shah Rukh Khan for the first time. 'When I met him for the first time, I definitely had that fanboy moment,' he admitted.
However, Pujara was quick to place that experience in perspective. 'When you think about cricket, you can’t think, “Just because Shah Rukh Khan is the owner, I want to stay here.” You want to be there because of the environment the franchise creates, the opportunity to learn from legendary players, play alongside them, and improve your cricket. That is what matters,' he said.
What the Anecdotes Reveal
The two stories together offer a rare window into Pujara's personality — a cricketer who inspired enough respect from a world-class bowler to earn a playful boycott, yet remained grounded enough not to be swayed by celebrity ownership when assessing franchise value. His emphasis on environment and learning over star power is a telling insight into the professional mindset that sustained a 103-Test career for India.
The full conversation is available on JioHotstar's 'Cheeky Singles' series, which features candid conversations with current and former cricketers.
Point of View
But it also quietly underlines something the numbers already confirm: Pujara’s Test-match durability made him a problem bowlers remembered long after the series ended. That a world-class pacer would carry the memory into an IPL net session speaks to the psychological imprint Pujara left on the 2018/19 and 2020/21 tours. His comments on Shah Rukh Khan are equally revealing — in an era where franchise glamour increasingly shapes player decisions, Pujara’s insistence on environment over celebrity is a quiet rebuke to the spectacle-first direction the IPL has taken.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Josh Hazlewood refuse to bowl to Pujara in CSK nets?
Hazlewood jokingly refused to bowl to Pujara during CSK net sessions, saying he had already bowled to him 'far too much' during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series before the IPL. It was said in jest, but Hazlewood did not bowl to Pujara in that session.
Which Border-Gavaskar Trophy series did Pujara and Hazlewood face each other in?
Pujara and Hazlewood faced each other during India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy tours of Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21, both of which India won. Pujara played a pivotal role in both series victories.
Where did Pujara share this story?
Pujara shared the anecdote on JioHotstar's series 'Cheeky Singles', a show featuring candid conversations with current and former cricketers.
What did Pujara say about meeting Shah Rukh Khan at KKR?
Pujara said he had a 'fanboy moment' when he first met Shah Rukh Khan during his time at Kolkata Knight Riders. However, he added that a franchise's cricketing environment and opportunities to learn matter more than celebrity ownership.
How many Tests did Cheteshwar Pujara play for India?
Cheteshwar Pujara played 103 Tests for India, establishing himself as one of the country's most dependable red-ball batters across more than a decade of international cricket.
