Has Wriddhiman Saha quit Bengal Ranji Trophy team?

Wriddhiman Saha is supposedly looking to quit Bengal in the domestic circuit. He has sought a NOC from the CAB, while the officials at the association have been left mummed.

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Senior Indian wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha is not having a great time in terms of cricketing matters. While his selection in the Indian team is not regular nowadays, the recent incident of him being threatened by journalist Boria Majumder has also disturbed him. Meanwhile, in a new turn of events, he has seemingly decided to move on from Bengal in the domestic circuit. He has sought a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), leaving the officials at the association mummed.

As per PTI sources, Saha has cited personal reasons for the same. Although he was named in the Ranji Trophy 2021-22 quarterfinal squad for Bengal against Jharkhand, he alleges that he was not consulted before the squad was announced. He held direct talks with CAB President Avishek Dalmiya, seeking a NOC to pursue his domestic career elsewhere.

"He is not interested in playing for Bengal anymore and sought a NOC. He is very annoyed with one CAB office-bearer (joint secretary Debabrata Das), who is questioning his commitment. He wants a public apology," a source told PTI. Meanwhile, Dalmiya issued a statement, "Any discussion between a player and an organisation is strictly between that player and the organisation. I want to refrain from making any comments at this stage completely."

The report adds that the CAB will not mollycoddle Saha if he decides to move on from Bengal. As for Saha's form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, playing for new team Gujarat Titans (GT), he has collected 281 runs in eight innings at a respected average of 40.14 and a strike rate of 123.24, including three half-centuries, while his top score reads 68.

Saha had recently revealed that current Team India head coach Rahul Dravid suggested that he take retirement as he would not be considered for the national side any further. "The team management had told me that I would not be considered subsequently. I could not tell this so long as I was part of the India team setup. Even coach Rahul Dravid suggested that I think about taking retirement," he had told the media after being dropped for the two home Tests against Sri Lanka a couple of months back.

(With inputs from PTI)