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KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Cheteshwar Pujara named his all-time India XI from teammates he has played with. - Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag were chosen to open the innings. - Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane both missed the cut. Cheteshwar Pujara picks his all-time team-mates XI Cheteshwar Pujara spent the best part of a decade batting alongside some of the finest cricketers India has produced, and he has now distilled that experience into a single starting eleven. The former number three assembled his all-time teammates XI, and a couple of notable names were left watching from the outside. Speaking on Cricinfo's Quick Singles, Pujara stuck to players he had personally shared a dressing room with, which produced a side spanning multiple eras of Indian cricket. It was a list heavy on batting pedigree and bowling depth, but with room for only so many. The most striking omissions were Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, two batters Pujara played with extensively across formats. Neither found a place in his final XII. MORE: India's selectors could pick Krunal Pandya for Afghanistan T20I series after impressive IPL campaign Cheteshwar Pujara's all-time XI boasts some serious star power Pujara opened with a pairing few would argue against, selecting Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag at the top. He then slotted himself in at his customary number three, ahead of a middle order stacked with icons. "My best playing 11 with the players I have played with. Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag to open the innings. I'm putting myself at number three," Pujara said. "Sachin Pajji at number four. Virat at number five. VVS Laxman at number six. Rishabh Pant at number seven." Cheteshwar Pujara rolls back the years to assemble his all-time teammates XI. Would this side be able to reach a WTC final today? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Qhb6dtS2OH — Cricinfo (@cricinfo) August 31, 2026 It is hard to imagine any Indian all-time line-up without Tendulkar at no. 4. Kohli was pushed down a slot, coming at third down instead of no. 4. The middle order was completed by VVS Laxman at six, followed by Pant, who doubles as the wicketkeeper for the side. The lower order was built around his long-time team-mates in the spin and pace departments. "Ravindra Jadeja at number eight. Ashwin at number nine. Bumrah at number 10 and Mohammad Shami at number 11," he added. He also named a twelfth man and hinted at the flexibility his selection allowed. "I'll pick another seamer, which is Ishant Sharma, at number twelve. So depending on the conditions, I might go with three seamers, and I haven't added a fast-bowling all-rounder. But if the need be, I might choose Hardik somewhere in that list," Pujara said. Pujara's XI: Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, VVS Laxman, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami. Twelfth man: Ishant Sharma. MORE: India's selectors could pick Krunal Pandya for Afghanistan T20I series after impressive IPL campaign Why Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane missed out The exclusion of Rohit is the more debatable of the two, given his standing as one of India's finest modern batters and a World Cup-winning captain. The composition of Pujara's XI, however, left little room at the top, with Dravid and Sehwag occupying the opening slots and the middle order effectively closed off by Tendulkar, Kohli and Laxman. Rahane's omission is arguably the more personal, as the two shared a great deal of Test cricket and formed the backbone of India's middle order for years. His absence reflects the sheer weight of batting talent Pujara had to choose from rather than any slight on his former colleague. Both calls underline the difficulty of the exercise. When a batter's career overlaps with the names like Tendulkar, Dravid, Sehwag, Laxman and Kohli, even a player of Rohit's or Rahane's calibre can find themselves squeezed out. Pujara's side, for what it is worth, would fancy its chances of reaching a WTC final in any era. For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages