London (England): India red-ball specialist Cheteshwar Pujara has been relieved by the Sussex side for next year's County Championship on Wednesday. The announcement came after the English club opted to retain the services of Australian cricketer Daniel Hughes.
The southpaw Hughes will be available for all Championship and T20 Vitality Blast matches next season. The club also mentioned that West Indies pacer Jayden Sales, who recently claimed a fifer in the second Test against South Africa at home soil, will play the first block of Championship fixtures.
The 36-year-old returned to Sussex for a third successive time in 2024 and had already played the first seven Championship matches before Hughes' arrival in the European country.
"Taking over from Cheteshwar (Pujara) is not an easy task, but Dan (Hughes) has fitted in brilliantly and we are all delighted he will be back for the whole of next season," Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace said in a statement on its official website.
Hughes was the highest run scorer in the group stages of this year's T20 Blast competition with 560 runs at an average of 43.07, including five half-centuries and a highest score of unbeaten 96.
The Aussie player helped Sussex secure a quarter-final against Lancashire Lightning at home on September 4. He will also be featured in Sussex's final five Championship games this season.
"Dan has been top-class for us on and off the field. He has brought a wealth of experience to the dressing room and has seriously helped some of our young batters with the development of their games," Fabrace said. (With PTI Inputs)
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