At Eden Gardens in Kolkata, veteran Indian wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha played his final professional match for Bengal versus Punjab, receiving an emotional send-off.
In celebration of his remarkable career in both domestic and international cricket, the 40-year-old, who had already declared his retirement from all forms of cricket, was given a guard of honour by his colleagues, match officials, and even the opposition players. Before the season began, Saha had taken the decision to retire, but he changed his mind after speaking with former India captain Sourav Ganguly and his wife, Romi.
Along with Punjab players and umpires, the wicketkeeper-batter’s Bengal colleagues formed a guard of honour as he took the field for his final game. A shawl, a bouquet, and a jersey signed by his teammates were given to Saha by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Snehasish Ganguly as part of the CAB’s felicitations before to the commencement of play. To commemorate the event, he and the umpires also cut a cake.
A special and emotional farewell 🫂
Guard of honour and felicitation for Bengal wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha who is playing his final First-class match 👏👏#RanjiTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @Wriddhipops
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/GAuG6Mqk8H pic.twitter.com/DGCJRh4QWT
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 31, 2025
For India, Wriddhiman Saha participated in 40 Test matches.
Saha’s batting performance in the first innings was disappointing, as Punjab’s bowler Gurnoor Brar removed him for a seven-ball duck despite the lavish goodbye. Saha still has a second innings to make amends, but he joined the ranks of Bengali greats who finished their careers on a duck, along with Pankaj Roy (First-Class), Sourav Ganguly (Test), and Jhulan Goswami (ODI).
At an average of 48.68, he did, however, score 7,169 runs in 141 games, including 44 fifties and 14 hundreds. Being considered one of India’s best wicketkeepers, his services behind the stumps were similarly outstanding.
Over the course of 40 Test matches during his international career, the right-hander amassed 1,353 runs at an average of 29.41. He played for India in nine ODIs as well. He played his final game for the national team in Mumbai against New Zealand in December 2021.
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