New Delhi, 4 November (Hindustan Reporter). Wriddhiman Saha will retire from all forms of the game after the current edition of Ranji Trophy. Wicketkeeper-batsman Saha represented India in 40 Tests between 2010 and 2021 and also featured in nine T20Is. Apart from this, he also appeared in 170 Indian Premier League (IPL) matches for various sides including Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans.
Saha posted on X on Sunday night, “After a memorable journey in cricket, this season will be my last. I am honored to represent Bengal one last time before I retire, I will just play in the Ranji Trophy. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this incredible journey, your support means the world. Let's make this season memorable…”
Saha, who made his first-class debut in 2007, played for Bengal for 15 years before moving to Tripura following differences with some Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) officials. The then CAB chief Avishek Dalmiya tried to pacify Saha, but he indicated that he could no longer play for Bengal.
He was angered by the comments of a senior CAB official who questioned Saha's commitment after he decided to skip the Ranji Trophy group stage due to personal reasons. He even left the Bengal team's WhatsApp group while coach Arun Lal spoke to the India international.
Under the leadership of Saha, who played the role of player-mentor, Tripura performed well in domestic tournaments last season. However, after a meeting with former India captain and then BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly, Saha returned to Bengal this season – a clear indication that this could be his last season.
Saha had earlier made it clear that he would focus only on red-ball cricket for Bengal and would not play in white-ball tournaments. So far, it has not been a memorable home return for him, he has been out for zero in two matches and has taken three catches behind the wicket.
Saha has been out of the national team since December 2021 and during the South Africa tour in 2022, he was told by then Indian head coach Rahul Dravid that the selectors and the team management were thinking ahead of him. However, he continued playing in the IPL and was part of Gujarat Titans in 2022 when it won its first title.