25 Facts about Wriddhiman Saha - The shadow keeper

25 Facts about Wriddhiman Saha – The shadow keeper: Just as a reserve goalkeeper in any sport has to await his chance till the established one gives way, the scenario has become the same for modern-day wicketkeepers. And there can be no better demonstration of this than the career of a certain Wriddhiman Saha. For years, all Saha could do was wait. Wait for Deep Dasgupta to make way, wait for MS Dhoni to step aside, wait for selectors to pick him and wait for fame and glory.

It could have frustrated a lesser mortal but Wriddhiman Saha is made of sterner stuff. Let us dwell deep into a man who quietly worked on his game, never missed a club match, developed his batting, and has remained patient to finally become India’s Number 1 keeper.

Here are 25 Facts about Wriddhiman Saha – The shadow keeper:

1. Birth:

Wriddhiman Prasanta Saha was born on 24 October 1984 in  Saktigarh, Siliguri, West Bengal.

2. The grind:

Wriddhiman Saha made it through the ranks of the youth system, playing for the Under-19s and the Under-22s team before stepping up to first-class cricket.

3. List A debut:

Wriddhiman Saha made his list A debut in the Ranji trophy of 2006-07, he scored a duck in his debut innings in his second match.

4. First Class debut:

Wriddhiman Saha began his first-class career brightly, becoming only the 15th Bengal player to make a century on debut in the 2007-08 season.

5. Big shoes to fill:

Wriddhiman Saha took the place of veteran keeper Deep Dasgupta in the Bengal Ranji side. Deep had signed up with the Indian Cricket League.

6. IPL call up:

The performance shot Wriddhiman Saha to fame and was significantly important in landing a contract with IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2008.

7. A regular member:

Wriddhiman Saha played a major part of the tournament in the first IPL thanks to the 4 foreigners rule and in the process displayed his batting talents besides his athleticism behind the stumps.

8. Well done:    

Wriddhiman Saha’s performances in the inaugural IPL won him a spot in the India A squad to tour Israel where he scored an unbeaten 85 in the 3rd match.

9. The Test selection:

In January 2010, Wriddhiman Saha was included in the Indian Test squad as a reserve wicket-keeper in place of Dinesh Karthik for the home Test series against South Africa.

Also Read – Top 10 Wicket-keepers with Most Stumpings in International Cricket

10. Unexpected call up:

A strong run in the Ranji Trophy in 2009-10, followed by last-minute injuries to VVS Laxman and Rohit Sharma handed Wriddhiman Saha a surprise Test debut, as a specialist batsman, in the home series against South Africa in February 2010.

11. Far from impressive:

Wriddhiman Saha scored a duck in the first Test innings and a watchful 36 in the second innings. But he hardly looked comfortable second time as well and was dismissed by Steyn again. He was subsequently dropped from the second Test.

12. Not one to give up:

Wriddhiman Saha continued to be in the selectors’ eye by topping the run-charts of the 2011-12 Vijay Hazare Trophy.

13. A long wait:

Wriddhiman Saha had to wait a considerable while for his second Test cap, and only a suspension for Dhoni enabled him to make it to the eleven, at Adelaide in January 2012.

14. The Adelaide knock:

Wriddhiman Saha made an important 35 in the 4^th Test on the Australia tour of 2012 which helped Virat Kohli to get his maiden Test Century. The duo added 114 runs for the 6^th wicket.

15. On the bench:

Wriddhiman Saha also toured South Africa in December 2013, New Zealand in February 2014 and England in July 2014 as part of the Test squads but did not get a game.

16. MS out with injury:

On 9 December 2014, Wriddhiman Saha was selected to play his first Test match since January 2012 against Australia at the same ground where he played his last match (Adelaide) as MS Dhoni was out with a thumb injury.

17. Injury:

Wriddhiman Saha was injured after the playing two Tests on the recent  tour of Sri Lanka forcing the BCCI to name a replacement in the form of Naman Ojha.

18. IPL teams:

Wriddhiman Saha played for Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League before being picked up by Kings XI Punjab in 2014.

19. The 2014 final:

Wriddhiman Saha responded with a number of impressive shows with the bat in IPL 7, the highlight of which was a 66-ball 115 with 10 fours and 8 sixes in the final, albeit in a losing cause.

20. IPL 7 numbers:

Wriddhiman Saha made 362 runs at an average of 32.90 and a strike rate of 145.38 in a journey that saw Kings XI reach the finals.

21. KUDOS:

Wriddhiman Saha is the first and only cricketer to score a century in the Indian Premier League final.

22. Leadership duties:

Wriddhiman Saha has also been entrusted with the leadership of Bengal in the Ranji Trophy and other domestic competitions from time-to-time and shares the duties with Manoj Tiwary and Laxmi Ratan Shukla.

23. Regular keeper:

Nowadays Wriddhiman Saha is the first choice wicket keeper batsman for India in the Test format.

24. Career in numbers:

Wriddhiman Saha has just played 9 ODIs mostly as a fill in arrangement and scored 41 runs in these games. In the 7 Tests Wriddhiman Saha has scored 284 runs at an average of just over 23 which includes 2 fifties.

25. First Class numbers:

In 75 first class games Wriddhiman Saha has managed 4466 runs at an average of 44.21 which includes 181 catches and 23 stumpings.