“I don’t think I will be selected” – Wriddhiman Saha believes selectors don’t want him in Indian team
The veteran Indian wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha has opined that he is no longer in the selectors’ plan going further. The Bengal wicketkeeper has been a part of the Indian Test setup ever since the retirement of MS Dhoni. However, Rishabh Pant has been India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in Tests for a while now.
Moreover, the Indian team management has already informed Saha that he is no longer a part of the future’s plan as they are looking to groom the youngsters. The squad selection for the rescheduled Test against England further clarified the selectors’ stance as they picked KS Bharat as Rishabh Pant’s deputy instead of Wriddhiman Saha.
Saha had his 2nd-most successful IPL season with the bat as the wicketkeeper played a pivotal role in the title-winning maiden season for Gujarat Titans. The right-handed batter amassed 317 runs in 11 matches, including three half-centuries but it wasn’t enough for him to earn a Test recall.
“If they had to pick me, I would’ve been selected for England tour,” says Wriddhiman Saha
“I don’t think I will be selected going further because already the coach and the chief selector had informed me. And if they had to pick me, after my IPL performance, I would have been included in the squad for England tour. So that decision has been made clear to me that right now, there aren’t too many options. But for me, I am focussed towards playing cricket. As long as I love the sport, I will play,” opined Wriddhiman Saha in a conversation with Sports Tak.
When asked to pick between his two best IPL seasons – the one with Punjab Kings in 2014 and the one with Gujarat Titans in 2022, Saha refused to choose between the two and kept both seasons close to his heart.
“Overall, I would say yes. I contributed and we became champions. Before this, in 2014 I had scored a hundred in the final for Kings XI (Punjab Kings). Ranking-wise, you can say this was one of the best IPLs I have been part of. But Run-wise, I scored more in 2014 and had played more matches as well,” Wriddhiman Saha pointed out.
