Wriddhiman Saha, the India wicketkeeper, is set to bring the curtains down on a 17-year career at the end of the ongoing 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season. Saha, a veteran of 40 Tests, made the revelation through a social media post. Saha is currently preparing for Bengal's fourth-round fixture against Karnataka in Bengaluru, having returned to the team after spending two years as a player-mentor with Tripura. He had returned to Bengal following a meeting with Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain. After a cherished journey in cricket, this season will be my last. I'm honored to represent Bengal one final time, playing only in the Ranji Trophy before I retire. At the time, Saha had indicated he won't be featuring in BCCI's white-ball tournaments and focus on the first-class format in a bid to help Bengal lift the Ranji crown that eluded him in 2019-20, when they were pipped by Saurashtra in the final Not wanting to dwell on the reasons for his acrimonious exit, Saha had insisted on "only looking forward" while expressing a keenness to explore opportunities in coaching over roles in administration.

Saha, who became India's first-choice wicketkeeper following MS Dhoni's Test retirement in 2014, last played for India in December 2021, when he was believed to have been told by the then team management, led by Rahul Dravid, that India were moving on from him. Saha looks to wipe slate clean with Bengal: 'I want to help in any capacity possible'. At the time, while he was arguably India's best wicketkeeper, the emergence of Rishabh Pant made it tougher, although Saha continued to play the role of a second wicketkeeper on many occasions. Upon his return to Bengal, Saha keenly mentored young Abishek Porel, who has stepped up to become an all-format regular for Bengal. The 22-year-old wicketkeeper was recently among four players retained by the Delhi Capitals ahead of the mega auction. As for his own IPL career, it's likely Saha won't feature in the auction. Until now, Saha has featured in every edition of the IPL since its inception in 2008, and was most recently with Gujarat Titans, with whom he won a title in 2022. Saha has also previously represented Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings, for whom he hit a memorable century in the 2014 final, where they were runners-up.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan