Wriddhiman Saha plays down the talk of rivalry with Rishabh Pant

Saha is all set to return to competitive cricket after a gap of nearly one year.

Wriddhiman Saha | Getty

Indian wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha is all set to return to competitive cricket after a gap of nearly one year. He will play for Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, 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.

“It definitely feels great to back in the mix after an injury layoff. Firstly for a sportsperson, there is nothing like the feeling of returning to the game and I don’t feel like I’ve been away for too long, rather just a couple of weeks or so, like a short break,” Saha told CricketNext.

“Right now my focus is solely on helping Bengal do well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.”

Saha’s injury opened the door for young Rishabh Pant and the latter grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Having made his debut against England last year, Pant established himself as a leading wicketkeeper in red-ball cricket. The southpaw has already scored two Test tons outside the subcontinent, leaving Saha's place in the team in jeopardy.

Nonetheless, Wriddhiman Saha doesn’t consider Pant as his rival. In fact, he is pretty pleased to see the progress of the 21-year-old glovesman.

“Rishabh got his chance when I was out and just like anyone would look to grab their chance with both hands he did the same. I don’t look at him as my competition, in fact when he came to the NCA we spent a lot of time together which was nice. We hardly spoke about performances and selection," Saha remarked.

When enquired about his plans to get his place back in the national Test team, Saha said he will do his bit on the field without thinking too much about the selection matters.

“My job is to play to the best of my ability and ensure I contribute to the needs of my team at all times. I feel the selection matters are not in my hand. So the main aim is to do well and then let things take its own course,” Saha asserted,

“I am confident about the return after such a long time, but yes if there is any disappointment that is about the good series (India's 2-1 series win against Australia) that I could not be part of with the team during this time. There’s not much one can do about that either since injuries are not something one can control,” he explained.

Saha was on rehab at the National Cricket Academy following his shoulder surgery in August last year.

“The stint at the NCA was really helpful. The coaches and the physios worked very closely with me and that helped greatly. I spent a lot of time in the nets batting and keeping and at no point did I feel out of touch or rusty even after so many days. It never felt like I was batting after 8 months,” he concluded.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 19 Feb, 2019

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