Wriddhiman Saha Biography

Full name: Wriddhiman Saha 

Father’s name: Prasanta Saha

Mother’s name: Maitrayee Saha
Chest Size: 38
Biceps Size: 11
Waist Size: 30
Skin Colour: Wheatish
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Hair Colour: Black
Home Town: Siliguri, West Bengal, India
Nationality: Indian
Religion: Hinduism
School: Siliguri Boys’ High School, Siliguri, West Bengal
Hobbies: Playing Video Games
Marital Status: Married
Debut Test debut (cap 263): 9 February 2010 vs South Africa

ODI debut (cap 190): 28 November 2010 vs New Zealand
Favourite: Color Blue
Favourite: Player Sachin Tendulkar
Favourite: Sport Cricket
Favourite: Actor Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan
Favourite: Movie Sholay
Favourite: Place Australia
Favourite: Food Chinese

Indian wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha’s career has been a test of endless patience and perseverance. Saha, 35, for the most part of his career, has played as a backup wicket-keeper in Tests, considering MS Dhoni’s dominance in all three formats for more than a decade.

Hailing from the Darjeeling state of West Bengal, Wriddhiman Saha is currently the first-choice wicket-keeper in the Indian Test side. He made his debut in international cricket against South Africa in 2010. Since then, he has managed to represent the Indian team in 37 Test matches and nine one-day internationals.  

Here’s a look at his journey from playing for Bengal to representing Indian national team:  

Wriddhiman Saha was born on 24th October 1984 to Prasanta Saha and Maitrayee Saha. The Indian wicket-keeper had a keen interest in cricket since his childhood days. Getting fascinated with the art of wicket-keeping, Wriddhiman Saha decided to don the gloves. He looked up to Adam Gilchrist as his idol.

With limited opportunities in Siliguri, Wriddhiman Saha decided to shift to Kolkata. Impressive performances in the first division league matches meant Saha earned a call from Bengal state team.

A man of spectacular wicket-keeping skills and immense patience, Saha kept notching excellent performances in under-19 and under-22 tournaments.

FIRST CLASS CRICKET:

Wriddhiman Saha made his debut in first-class cricket for Bengal in 2007-18 Ranji season. In his first match of the season, he notched an unbeaten 111, while being involved in a crucial partnership with Manoj Tiwari.

He didn’t turn up with better performances in the matches which followed. He could only score one half-century after that in the tournament but was enough to fetch him an IPL contract with his home team looking for a wicket-keeper batsman.

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE:

 

saha

Kolkata Knight Riders drafted Saha in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. He played 12 matches in 2008 edition, scoring 159 runs in 12 matches at an average of 31.80. The following two season didn’t prove to be a great success for the KKR wicket-keeper as he could only muster runs at an average of below 24 with not even a single half-century to his name.

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS:

saha

In the 2011 edition of IPL, Wriddhiman Saha was snapped by Chennai Super Kings as a reserve wicket-keeper for MS Dhoni. He stayed with the team for three seasons. Saha didn’t get many opportunities. He played 14 matches in three seasons combined, scoring just 144 runs.

KINGS ELEVEN PUNJAB:

Wriddhiman Saha

The world witnessed Saha’s exploits with the bat and gloves in the 2014 edition of IPL. Turning up for Kings XI Punjab, Wriddhiman Saha played 17 matches in which he scored 362 runs at an average of 32.90 with the highest score of 115 not out. Saha helped Punjab reach the final in the 2014 edition. He scored a scintillating 115-run knock in the final against Kolkata Knight Riders helped the team reach 199 in 20 overs.

However, a belligerent Manish Pandey overshadowed Saha’s knock and ruined Punjab’s plans of lifting their maiden IPL title, as his 50-ball 94 guided KKR to a 3-wicket victory in the final. Saha continued his good run of form in the next three seasons for the same franchise, scoring 249, 270 and 234 runs in 2015, 2016 and 2017 editions of the IPL respectively.  

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD:

Wriddhiman Shah Photo

Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him in the 2018 edition. He didn’t impress a lot in 16 appearances for SRH in last two editions. The Indian wicket-keeper would be hoping to improve his numbers in the 2020 edition of the cash-rich league and maintain his place as the first-choice wicket-keeper for the franchise in the years to come.

INTERNATIONAL CAREER:

Wriddhiman Saha made his Test debut in South Africa’s tour of India in 2010. While he was taken into the side as a reserve wicket-keeper batsman, Saha was drafted in the eleven, thanks to the last-minute injury to Rohit Sharma. Saha scored a duck in the first innings and 36 in the second innings. Saha didn’t play the next game.

He played his next test match in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2012. He replaced MS Dhoni, who suffered a ban due to slow-over rate. By this time, Saha maintained his position as the permanent wicket-keeper of the side.

He was a part of the Indian Test side, which travelled South Africa in 2013, New Zealand in 2014 and England in the same year, though didn’t get to play a single match in either of the tours.

After Dhoni’s retirement from the Test cricket, Saha slowly started maintaining his position as the first choice wicket-keeper batsman. He was selected as a first choice wicket-keeper int he West Indies tour in 2016. The Bengal cricketer became the third wicket-keeper in the history of Indian cricket to feature six dismissals in a test match innings.

Through his excellent wicket-keeping skills and crucial knocks in the lower order, Wriddhiman Saha, today, has become the first choice wicketkeeper in the Indian Test team. Though, with Rishabh Pant waiting in the sidelines, for Saha, the pressure of maintaining his place in the eleven is still a challenge.

LESSER KNOWNS FACTS ABOUT WRIDDHIMAN SAHA: 

Saha

  1. Wriddhiman Saha also had a fascination for Car racing and wanted to become an F1 Driver. However, later gave up the idea. 
  2. Saha’s father also loved playing cricket and football and had also participated in Siliguri leagues. However, due to financial stress in the house, he gave up the idea of turning his passion into profession. 
  3. In a Ranji game, Saha put on a 417-run stand for the sixth wicket. Till date, it is the third highest in first-class cricket. 
  4. Saha made his IPL debut for Kolkata Knight Riders. He later went on to play for CSK, KXIP and SRH. 

SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITIES: 

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