Sourav Ganguly Urges Wriddhiman Saha to Retire for Bengal

Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has urged veteran wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha to play one final match for his home state Bengal before retiring. This request comes after Saha met with Ganguly in Agartala, Tripura, where Saha currently plays for the Tripura Cricket Association.

Saha, 39, joined Tripura in 2022 following a rift with officials of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). According to Tripura Cricket Association joint secretary Jayanta Dey, Ganguly expressed his desire for Saha to retire for Bengal, playing at least one last match.

However, Saha has yet to request a no-objection certificate (NOC) from Tripura. Dey stated that Tripura recently granted an NOC to Sudip Chatterjee, who is set to return to Bengal, but Saha has not made such a request.

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

Saha's meeting with Ganguly comes two years after he publicly criticized the Ganguly-led Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for not selecting him for the India home Test series against Sri Lanka. Saha revealed private dressing room conversations with head coach Rahul Dravid, who had suggested he consider retirement. He also claimed that Ganguly had assured him a spot in the team.

Following these revelations, Saha opted out of playing for Bengal due to concerns raised by senior official Debabrata Das about his commitment. Saha subsequently quit the Bengal team's WhatsApp group and joined Tripura. Former CAB president Avishek Dalmiya attempted to persuade Saha to return to Bengal, but he remained firm in his decision.

Tags: #WriddhimanSaha, #SouravGanguly, #BengalCricket, #Retirement, #CricketAssociationofBengal