I am waiting again: Wriddhiman Saha on his cricket career

Indian wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha was infected by the coronavirus during this year's Indian Premier League and had to undergo the mandatory quarantine. In a recent conversation with The Indian Express, Saha spoke about his mental health while he was in quarantine, about recognition as an accomplished wicket-keeper, and turning down the offer to contest in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election.

Saha calls himself an ‘introvert'. As a result, staying alone in quarantine was not a bad experience for him.

“Even when there was no quarantine, I basically used to stay put in my room. I am not someone to go out frequently. That’s why I didn’t find it too difficult to handle,” he told the publication.

Read more: Wriddhiman Saha recovers from Covid-19, available for England tour

Saha's India career has been a tale of waiting in the shadows of other players, eager for an opportunity. Regarding his unavailability on the field after recovering from Covid-19, he said, “When Dhoni bhai (MS Dhoni) was there, I wasn’t a regular in the team. I virtually didn’t play at all. From 2014 end to 2018, I played. After I suffered an injury, Dinesh Karthik, Parthiv Patel and Rishabh Pant have played (for India). Rishabh has managed to cement his place through his potential. He has grabbed the opportunity. Now I am (again) waiting for my turn.”

There’s a perception that Saha's batting skill is weak, even when his half-centuries in both the innings in a Test against New Zealand took India to the test finals.

He, however, thinks otherwise: “I always believe that scoring a vital 25 or 30 is more important than a century or a half-century if that contributes more to the team’s cause. I am happy that way.”

He added that he believes in giving the team precedence while playing.

Also read: Would have been better if IPL was held in UAE: Wriddhiman Saha

“Whether I am underrated, it’s for others to decide. While trying to contribute to the team’s cause, I got out in a few innings. Maybe, a different player, more inclined to play for himself, would have avoided criticism,” he further said.

Saha has been offered the Bengal Ranji team captaincy in the past but he had declined the offer. He has never taken up leadership roles since the beginning of his playing days.

“I have always seen myself as a team-man. I have seen players asserting themselves after being appointed captain or trying to eke out something by dint of their position. To me, every player should be in the team by his performance. It should never be that 10 players are being picked on merit and another one is coming through recommendation. Maybe, that was the reason why I turned down the Bengal captaincy,” he explained.

Like his Bengal teammates Manoj Tiwary and Ashok Dinda, Saha too was offered to contest in the Bengal Assembly elections. But he turned down the offer because he does not like politics. Also, in his own words, “I like to live the life of a common man. I am not comfortable if two security personnel are accompanying me when I am going out.”