NEW DELHI: Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Sunday, bringing an end to a stellar career. Following the news, Virat Kohli expressed his gratitude to Pujara, saying the veteran made his job at number 4 much easier.

Responding to the heartfelt compliment, Pujara praised Kohli in return, calling him a great player and acknowledging his immense contribution to Indian cricket.

"Thank you for making my job easier at (number) 4, Pujji. You've had an amazing career. Congratulations, and wish you the best for what's ahead. God bless @cheteshwarpujara," Kohli, who announced his Test retirement this year in May, wrote on his Instagram story.

"It's a nice compliment from Virat. He's a great player. "And if he's saying that I've made his life easier, I'm really proud because if you're a top-order batsman, your job is to ensure that the batters who bat at number 4, 5, 6, you make their life easier," Pujara told PTI.

Pujara's decision to hang his boots from all cricket was driven by self-reflection, honesty about his readiness, and a desire to create opportunities for the next generation.

"When I was in the UK, I was actually looking forward to the season. But once I came back home, I was settling in. And when I was about to start my preparation for the Ranji Trophy, I wanted to speak to my family, to my friends, some of my colleagues. What are their thoughts on me playing this season," Pujara said.

"Because I knew that if I played another season, I would be holding a spot in the team and I didn't want to do that. And I wasn't 100 per cent sure that I wanted to carry on playing the entire season."

"So I thought that it was the best time for me to move on and provide an opportunity to the younger player who can be part of the Saurashtra team," he added.

Since Pujara's departure, India has struggled to find a reliable number three. Who in the current squad can handle the role long-term?

"Well, it's very hard to say at this stage. But Indian team has a lot of young, talented players. Someone like Sai Sudharshan has started this journey well. We saw some potential in his batting.

"At the same time, Karun Nair also scored a 50, though he was batting at number 5. Both Sai and Karun have shown a lot of potential going forward."