Ganguly Encourages Saha To Play 'One Last Match' For Bengal

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has urged veteran wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha to play "one last match" for Bengal before retiring, according to Tripura Cricket Association joint secretary Jayanta Dey.

The 39-year-old Saha, who moved to Tripura following a dispute with some Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) officials in 2022, recently met with Ganguly. "Ganguly wants Saha to retire for Bengal, playing at least one last match. Saha told me this," Dey said.

However, Saha has not yet requested a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Tripura. "We have recently given an NOC to Sudip Chatterjee, who is set for a Bengal return, but Saha has not asked for it as of now," Dey added.

It remains uncertain whether Saha will participate in the Bengal Pro T20 franchise league, which begins on June 11. The players' draft for the teams has already concluded.

This meeting comes two years after Saha publicly criticised the Ganguly-led BCCI for not selecting him for the India home Test series against Sri Lanka. He had disclosed private dressing room conversations with head coach Rahul Dravid about his future, where Dravid suggested he should "think about retirement." Saha also claimed that Ganguly had assured him a "spot" in the team.

Saha chose not to play for Bengal after senior official Debabrata Das questioned his commitment, leading to another fallout. He even quit the Bengal team's WhatsApp group and joined Tripura. The then CAB president Avishek Dalmiya attempted to persuade Saha to return to Bengal, but he remained steadfast in his decision.