Indian wicketkeeper and batsman Wriddhiman Saha has now decided to part ways with Bengal. The 37-year-old cricketer has shifted his base to Tripura. He signed up to play for Tripura on Friday (July 8). Saha had gone to Tripura to meet the officials of the Cricket Board for some talks and his deal has been confirmed. Saha had already taken NOC from the Bengal team as he wanted to leave. Tripura Joint Secretary Kishor Das had told the media a day earlier that Saha was coming to Tripura not only as a cricketer but also as a mentor. Saha’s inclusion in Tripura will give a huge boost to cricket in the North East as the cricketers from the state will learn a lot from the Indian Test legend.
Saha has played 40 Test matches for India. He became a permanent member of the team after MS Dhoni stepped down as captain and retired from the longest format of the game in 2014. Saha scored 1353 runs in Tests scoring 3 tons at an average of 29.41. He has also featured in 9 ODIs for India in which he has scored just 41 runs. Saha has been brilliant in the IPL, though he hasn’t played a single T20 match for India. In 144 games, he has scored 2427 runs at an average of 25.28, as well as scored a century. Not to be forgotten, he played a key role in the top batting order in Gujarat Titans’ playing XI in IPL 2022, giving the team a good start.
Saha has not yet retired from international cricket but has been told by head coach Rahul Dravid that he will no longer be considered for selection as the Indian Test team is looking to invest in the future.
The Tripura stint of the former Bengal player may help the BCCI and IPL franchises find talent in North East India. It is the only part of India that is unexplored with respect to finding good national level players.