Cricinfo had previously reported that the player had sought permission to play county cricket, with Leicestershire supposedly favourites to sign him
The 26-year old, who has made plenty of starts on the current tour without going on to the big scores for which he is known, has supposedly opted for the county despite several offers from elsewhere.
He averages just under 59 in first-class cricket and over fifty in the one-day game, with a highest score of 352. That's not in one-day cricket, just in case you wondered...
With twenty-six centuries and twenty-five fifties in his short career so far, there is little doubt that he is a batsman of great talent and will undoubtedly benefit from the exposure to English wickets.
He made 81 against us at Derby earlier in the tour and the signing would create a buzz around the 3AAA County Ground in the remaining games.
“This will be announced soon both by the cricketer himself as well Derbyshire County Cricket Club," an unimpeachable source very close to the right-hand middle-order batsman told the website on condition of anonymity
"No, it isn't for money, but for the experience of playing in English cricket, which is a challenge in itself for the best of cricketers, that Cheteshwar has decided to play for a county, which in his case happens to be Derbyshire County Cricket Club."
Fact or fiction? We'll doubtless know in the next 24 hours, but since the news is out there on the web, I'm duty bound to bring it to you. I'll accept the veracity of the information when I see it on the club site, but should it happen, Pujara will become the fourth Indian to play for Derbyshire, after Venkat, Mohammad Azharuddin and Mohammad Kaif.
More later, if this proves to be correct - or otherwise.
Fingers crossed this comes off. Would be a tremendous signing.
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