Seasoned India wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha has been through several highs and lows in recent times. Following an ugly Whatsapp altercation with journalist Boria Majumdar- who has since been banned for 2 years from covering any form of cricket- Wriddhi was unceremoniously informed that going ahead, he wouldn’t be considered for selection in the national team anymore.
Wriddhiman Saha’s Roller-Coaster cricket journey
The news came at a time when Saha was already going through a rough patch with his domestic Bengal team. His decision to not feature in the upcoming Ranji Trophy tournament was not taken kindly by the Bengal management, and they questioned his commitment towards the team. Shortly afterwards, Saha almost ended up going unsold in the 2022 IPL mega auctions, but the Gujarat Titans snapped him at the eleventh hour to bring him some respite.
And as it turned out, that lucky break was all Wriddhi ‘pops’ needed to turn his own and his IPL franchise’s fortunes around. After being rested for the first few matches, Saha came roaring into form for GT at the top of the order, and played a pivotal role in the Ahmedabad-based side’s title-winning run. Opening the batting, Saha compiled 317 runs at a strike rate of 122.39 and played the perfect foil to fellow opener Shubman Gill.
A lot of people had thought that Saha’s impressive showing in the IPL would be his ticket of finding a way back into the Indian test team’s fold. But from the looks of it, the selection door is permanently closed down on Saha, and it has very little to do with his abilities in cricket. At 37-years of age, the Indian think-tank seems not to be interested in playing Saha anymore, and is instead focussing on grooming new and young talent.
“Coach and chief selector have clarified I won’t be playing for India anymore”- Wriddhiman Saha
Over on a recent interview with Sports Tak, Saha spoke openly about his recent selection snubs with the Indian test team and Bengal team. Saha claimed that head coach Rahul Dravid and chief selector Chetan Sharma have already clarified him about his selection hiatus.
“I don’t think I will be picked because the coach and chief selector have already clarified on it. And if they had to take me, they would have given me a chance on the tour of England after I performed well in the IPL. For now, I’m only focussed on playing cricket until I enjoy playing the game,” Saha was quoted saying.
According to reports, Wriddhi is set to shift base to Tripura in a player-cum-mentor role for his upcoming domestic career. While Saha declined on confirming such reports, he has made it clear that the behaviour dished out by the Bengal team management was very hurtful, which is why he wouldn’t be continuing with them any longer.
“Before the IPL, an incident happened and then and there, I decided not to play for Bengal anymore. Having played so long for Bengal, if someone hurled nasty comments at you, it hurts. I was hurt, personally, and that’s why I decided to change my state. I have talked to a number of states, but nothing is finalised as of now,” Saha told Sports Tak.
With 40 test caps and 104 test dismissals to his name, Saha happens to be one of the most experienced glovesmen going around in the Indian circuit. It remains to be seen whether his good recent showing in the IPL attracts any last moment interest from the selectors in India’s upcoming one-off test match against England.