Broke into the Test arena after the retirement of mercurial MS Dhoni, Wriddhiman Saha has emerged as India's first-choice wicketkeeper when it comes to cricket's most traditional format. The retirement of Dhoni from Test cricket after the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne in 2014 opened the gates for the Siliguri-born who had long been considered as the understudy of the former. In his short international career, Saha has not only impressed the commoners but also the critics with his quick reflexes and acrobatic wicket-keeping skills. It is true that he has established himself more as a keeper than as a batsman in Team India. For many, his athleticism behind the stumps against fast-bowlers has not been seen in an Indian keeper in living memory. With limited batting abilities, the 33-year old batsman has learned to play within his boundaries and has achieved success on that front. In the cash-rich Indian Premier League, Saha was signed by Chennai Super Kings prior to the 2011 season after being a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders side in the first three editions. But, the diminutive keeper found his calling with Kings XI Punjab when he bludgeoned his way to a hundred in the final of the 2014 edition, and proved his worth with the blade in the shortest format. In this year's player auction, Saha was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 5 crores.
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Indian youngster Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha are named the captains of India A for the two four-day games against South Africa A.
Wriddhiman and Hanuma Vihari the two Test specialists who have been included in the A squad to prepare for the two-Test series starting late August.
Wriddhiman Saha has been picked ahead of Rishabh Pant in the India 'A' squad for the multi-day games against West Indies 'A' while K.S. Bharat is the second-choice keeper.
Wriddhiman Saha said that Rishabh Pant grabbed his opportunity with both hands and now the selectors will have to decide the way forward.
Sceptics have cast doubts that Pant's batting ability could make an international comeback difficult for the Bengal stumper but Saha remains unfazed.
This is Saha's second century of his T20 career. His first hundred had come way back in 2014 during the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Praising the 21-year old who is now making a case for himself across formats, Saha said Pant has proved himself since making his debut.
Ishant, who missed out on the final Test against Australia in Sydney owing to an injury is now fit and will be unleashing his thunderbolts against Jharkhand in Delhi's opening game at Vijaywada.
The former India Test wicketkeeper batsman, who went under the knife for a shoulder injury, is set to return to action for the first time since May 25, 2018.
The 34-year-old Saha has been India's number one wicketkeeper in Test cricket since MS Dhoni's retirement in December 2014, is undergoing rehab for his shoulder surgery.
Saha will begin his rehabilitation at National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru after completing a mandatory three-week rest period.
Saha underwent the surgery after speculations that the Test wicketkeeper's problem was compounded by a "bungled" rehabilitation programme at the NCA.
Saha will undergo a surgery on his shoulder in Manchester at the end of July or beginning of August, the BCCI confirmed on Saturday.
Saha has been out of action, citing a thumb injury sustained during this year's IPL, but it has now come to light that the problem is much bigger than what was initially assessed.
The BCCI named Karthik as Saha's replacement for Afghanistan's debut Test match to be held in Bengaluru starting June 14.
Karthik had last played a Test match way back in 2010 against Bangladesh but has had a prolific first-class record with 27 hundreds and over 9000 runs.
Saha's batting form in the IPL was woeful with 122 runs in 10 innings at an average of 15.25 but he admitted it was way below his expectation.
If the Bengal keeper fails to recover in time for the one-off historic Test, Dinesh Karthik or Parthiv Patel might get a look in.
Kolkata Knight Riders may be overwhelming favourites to seal a final berth but Saha said the Sunrisers Hyderabad are ready for the challenge in the Qualifier 2 at the Eden Gardens.
Wriddhiman Saha believes that even copybook shots can fetch him runs and there is no need to play unconventional shots.
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