"I have returned to play for West Bengal...": Wriddhiman Saha

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 12 (ANI): Indian wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha said on Monday that he is looking forward to playing cricket for West Bengal yet again and helping win major tournaments in the upcoming season.

Saha was speaking to ANI in Kolkata. Having represented Bengal from 2007-2022 at the state level, Saha started playing for Tripura from the 2022 season onwards after a public fallout with a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) official.

The fallout began in February 2022 when a CAB official issued a statement in which he accused the player of giving 'all sorts of excuses' to 'skip' Ranji trophy matches. The statement did not go well with Saha, who sought an apology. He got a no-objection certificate (NOC) to play for Tripura, despite the Bengal team selecting him for some domestic matches.

Speaking to ANI, Saha said, "After playing for almost 15 years with the West Bengal cricket team, I played for the Tripura cricket team for two years. Now I have returned to play for the West Bengal cricket team...As a wicket-keeper batsman, I will try my best to help the team win major tournaments."

He said that his current priorities are the preparatory camp and the upcoming Ranji Trophy tournaments. "Then, according to how my body reacts, I will decide on T20s and one-day games."

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: President of the Cricket Association of Bengal, Snehasish Ganguly says, "I am very happy as Wriddhiman Saha has returned to the West Bengal cricket team. He has played 40 tests for India...He is one of the finest wicketkeepers India has ever… pic.twitter.com/gmswNGxptK

— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2024

On the possibility of replacing now retired Manoj Tiwary as a captain, Saha said, "Manoj is an outstanding batsman, his class is different. I will try playing my role as a WK batter to the best of my abilities." Talking about playing to set his case as a back-up wicketkeeper-batter for Team India, Saha said, "Right now, that spot is not for me. I will try my best to bring forward junior players." CAB president Snehasish Ganguly said he is very happy as Saha has returned to the West Bengal cricket team.

"He has played 40 tests for India. He is one of the finest wicketkeepers India has ever produced. When Saha is there he always gives his 200 per cent. We are very focused on domestic cricket. We have a very good side this time." Saha, having last played for India in 2021, has scored 1,353 runs in 40 Tests for India, with three centuries and six fifties in 56 innings. He has also played five ODIs for India. (ANI)