OTD: Wriddhiman Saha was born in 1984

It was on this day, October 24 in 1984, that former India keeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha was born in Shaktigarh, Siliguri, Bengal, India. Considered one of the best keepers in India for his perfect technique behind the stumps to both pacers and spinners, Saha played for India from 2010 to 2021.

Saha remained the understudy of MS Dhoni in Indian cricket for a considerable time, having made his First-Class debut in 2007. Saha continued to wow with his wicket-keeping skills and gritty batting on challenging surfaces.

Saha replaced Dinesh Karthik as the backup wicketkeeper of the Indian team for the home South Africa Test series in 2010. He was not expected to play any games but made his Test debut as a pure batter after VVS Laxman and backup batter Rohit Sharma got injured ahead of the Nagpur Test against South Africa.

He remained on the fringes until 2014, when MS Dhoni announced his Test retirement midway through the Australia tour, and Saha took over as primary keeper and enjoyed a brilliant run with the Indian team for seven years.

Overall, Saha played 40 Tests for India, scoring 1353 runs at an average of 29.41, including three centuries and six fifties, with the highest score being 117. He also played nine ODIs, scoring 41 runs.

The rise of Rishabh Pant put immense pressure on Saha, who had been picked for the home Test series, but Pant was preferred on overseas tours. Saha last played a Test for India against New Zealand in December 2021, before Pant took over full-time across formats.

Saha was prolific in the Indian Premier League as well, playing for Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, and Gujarat Titans. He scored 2934 runs at an average of 24.24 and a strike rate of 127.56 in 170 IPL games, including one century and 13 fifties. His highest score of 114* came for the Punjab team in the final of the 2014 IPL against KKR.

Saha retired from all cricket after the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season.

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