'What do you know about the boy?' Dad asked. 'He plays cricket for India,' my uncle replied, as if this mere fact was a clincher.
The announcement did not make any noticeable impression on my father and Geeta Didi, because, like me, they did not follow cricket.
'I've seen him play,' announced my mother, astounding us all. 'You have?' I asked, dumbfounded.
In 2013, Puja Pabari, who had never followed cricket and didn't understand the game, married Cheteshwar Pujara and witnessed firsthand what happens in a cricketer's daily life. Over the next few years, however, she learnt the nuances of the game, understood sports nutrition to take care of the diet requirements of a vegetarian husband and took charge of the Pujara household as the sole woman in the house.
In The Diary of a Cricketer's Wife, Puja brings a unique perspective on what it takes to be a cricketer's wife, the pressures of managing expectations on both personal and professional fronts and the struggles, vulnerabilities and triumphs of being so closely associated with the game in a cricket-crazy nation. Alongside, she offers a rare glimpse into Cheteshwar Pujara's life, from playing street cricket at a railway colony in Rajkot to eventually becoming one of the greatest test cricketers in India, and the sacrifices his parents made to ensure he fulfilled his dream despite their difficult circumstances.
Heartfelt and candid, The Diary of a Cricketer's Wife is a testament to the resilience and passion that define Cheteshwar as well as the couple's enduring love and commitment to each other-a rollercoaster of emotions.