Indian wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha is all set to return to competitive cricket, as he is in line to return to Bengal squad for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019 starting from February 21.
Saha has been out of action since May 25, 2018 – when he had suffered a thumb injury during an IPL fixture between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Since then, India’s Test wicketkeeper was on rehab at the National Cricket Academy following shoulder surgery in August last year - which took another three to four months to repair the surgery.
However, it was a career-threatening shoulder injury, but Saha never allowed any negativity to enter his thought process (during the lay-off) and he is now very close to 100 percent fit.
Saha told The Indian Express on Tuesday (12th February), “I’m very close to 100 percent. I will play the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. I’m returning to Kolkata after February 15 and will join the Bengal team’s conditioning camp on February 16 or 17.”
On being about the long lay-off and lack of game time, Saha said, “There’s no time to play a club match (before the national T20). If the CAB asks me to play a club game before playing for Bengal, I will do that.”
Meanwhile, Bengal’s coach-cum-mentor Arun Lal is hoping that Saha to make the fine-tuning quickly. He signed off by saying, “We are aware of that (Saha’s lack of game time). But he is such a big cricketer, we are hoping that he will be able to make the adjustments very quickly.”
Noteworthy, Bengal is yet to announce its squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy while they will open their campaign against Mizoram on 21st Feb in Cuttack.
(With The Indian Express Inputs)
