‘Don’t Step Out After 9 PM in West Indies!’: Rohit Sharma Recalls Pujara’s Mugging Story

June 7, 2025: Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara have a bond that goes back many years — from their days in the India U-19 team to representing the senior national side together. Their camaraderie was on full display recently during the launch of the book The Diary of a Cricketer’s Wife by Pujara’s wife, Pooja, when the two shared a funny and heartfelt conversation.

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Rohit jokingly asked Pujara if the book mentioned a mysterious incident during the India A tour of West Indies in 2012. Pujara laughed and revealed, “I haven’t told the full story. She knows about it, but not the details. I’m a vegetarian and one night in Trinidad and Tobago, we went out late at 11 PM looking for a vegetarian meal but couldn’t find one. While walking back, I was mugged. I can’t share the full details, but that’s the story Rohit’s talking about.”

Rohit added with a grin, “We warned him not to go out after 9 PM in the West Indies. But he’s stubborn, so he went anyway!”

Beyond the laughs, Rohit praised Pujara’s incredible resilience, especially after suffering ACL injuries in both knees early in his career — a major setback for any sportsperson. “Losing both ACLs is a huge blow for any athlete. We used to tease him about his running style, but to come back and play over 100 Test matches is a testament to his dedication and passion,” Rohit said.

Pujara, reflecting on his toughest challenge, pointed to the 2016-17 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home against Australia. “In the second Test at Bangalore, we were struggling badly in both innings. I consulted Anil Kumble bhai about how to face Nathan Lyon, and he gave me a technical tip that helped a lot.”

Their exchange offered fans a mix of humor, respect, and insight into the grit behind India’s cricketing stalwarts.