Wriddhiman Saha has expressed his desire to move past previous conflicts with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) as he anticipates a productive reunion with the team he represented from 2007 to 2022.
During a media interaction at Eden Gardens, Saha made it clear that he preferred not to dwell on past issues, instead choosing to concentrate on contributing to Bengal cricket for the remainder of his career. At 39, Saha repeated his eagerness to play for Bengal again and mentioned his openness to a future coaching role.
Saha explained that he does not dwell on the past or worry about the future, instead focusing on the present. He stated that his current priority is playing for Bengal and that he has moved on from previous events. However, he remains committed to supporting Bengal in any way he can, noting that he would likely be more effective in a coaching role rather than an administrative one.
Saha had parted ways with Bengal before the 2022-23 domestic season after a disagreement with CAB joint-secretary Debabrata Das, who had accused him of making excuses to avoid playing Ranji Trophy matches. Although the CAB included Saha in the squad for subsequent games, he ultimately sought and received a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to join Tripura as a player-mentor.
The incident coincided with Saha, then 37, being informed by the Indian team management, led by Rahul Dravid, that he would not be considered for future Test squads following India’s tour of South Africa in January 2022.
Saha, sporting a cap with the slogan "Never Give Up," responded to questions about his retirement plans by stating that he has no intention of retiring anytime soon. He clarified that when the time comes, he will retire from all forms of cricket, but for now, he remains focused on playing in red-ball cricket, white-ball formats, and the IPL. While he acknowledges the need to manage his workload due to his age, his passion for cricket and desire to see Bengal succeed are as strong as ever.
Although CAB president Snehasish Ganguly did not confirm whether Saha would be named Bengal’s captain following Manoj Tiwary’s retirement, he did highlight Saha’s importance in filling the void left by Tiwary. Ganguly also expressed pleasure in not only securing Saha, a "son of the soil," but also welcoming back former vice-captain Sudip Chatterjee, who had also left for Tripura around the same time as Saha.
Saha’s return to Bengal now presents a dilemma for the team, as they have two high-calibre wicketkeepers, with Abishek Porel also vying for a spot. On balancing his experience with the need to nurture young talent like Porel, Saha emphasised his commitment to Porel’s development, ensuring that the younger player does not lose out due to the senior pro’s presence.
Saha shared that he had been mentoring Porel even before leaving Bengal, and he plans to continue supporting his growth. He has been following Porel’s progress since his early days and is confident that the management will provide Porel with ample opportunities.
Bengal has come close to winning the Ranji Trophy in recent years, reaching the final twice but losing both times to Saurashtra in 2019-20 and 2022-23. However, there has been some concern among Bengal cricket fans about the lack of Bengali players in the team. Saha, however, believes that selections should be based on merit rather than regional origins.
Saha pointed out that when players are selected for India, there is no regional quota system, and the same principle should apply to Bengal. He pinpointed that even if some players in the Bengal team are not originally from the state, they are still integral members of the squad. Saha dismissed the notion that the team lacks Bengali representation, stressing that talent and hard work should be the primary criteria for selection.
Last season, Bengal finished third in their Ranji Trophy group, behind Mumbai and Andhra, and failed to qualify for the knockout stages. In the List A Vijay Hazare Trophy, Bengal was eliminated in the quarter-finals, and in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, they were knocked out in the preliminary quarter-final.