Wriddhiman Saha is best known as the one who stepped into Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s shoes as India’s Test wicket-keeper.
Wriddhiman Saha is best known as the one who stepped into Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s shoes as India’s Test wicket-keeper. He may still be relatively new to international cricket, but is a veteran of the Indian Premier League.
Saha has been a part of the IPL right since the beginning; representing Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab. But it was the 2014 season that brought Saha into limelight as he was a part of KXIP’s dream run and also became the first player to smash a hundred in an IPL final. The title still eludes Kings XI though and Saha is ready to put his best foot forward again.
As IPL-9 kicked off, Saha said he is gearing up for the challenge. “I have played all eight seasons and been with Kolkata, CSK and the Kings XI, I can easily say that I have felt at home with my latest team. This is where the best in me has come out and given me the belief.
“Being with the Knight Riders and the Super Kings was good too, but my experience with the Kings XI has been the best,” said Saha.
It was a ‘so near yet so far’ kind of a situation with the Kings in the 2014 IPL final when Saha hit a blistering 115 off 75 balls and his team lost. He says it was a disheartening loss for the team.
“Missing out on the match and the title especially after I hit that century was absolutely demoralising. A loss and that too in the summit clash always hurts even if I had not hit a hundred.
“We were not up to the task at crucial moments. At times we did not do well as a batting unit or as a bowling unit. The entire team was deeply hurt by that loss,” Saha said.
The Kings XI gloveman believes that a player should always be ready to play according to the team’s cause.
“I have opened the batting in domestic cricket but I have been coming out to bat on any slot in the IPL that my teams have required. I am ready to bat at any slot and to play any role for the team’s cause.”
