It's a problem of plenty for India when it comes to selecting wicketkeepers. There's Mahendra Singh Dhoni ruling the charts – at least in limited-over formats, Rishabh Pant – the heir apparent to Dhoni, and Dinesh Karthik – the ever-reliable hand with lots of experience.
Then there is Wridhiman Saha, probably with the safest pairs of gloves. After Dhoni's retirement from Test, the Bengal wicketkeeper was the first choice for India. But a shoulder injury forced the 34-year-old out of the picture.
Saha, having recovered from the injury, is making a return to competitive cricket after nine months. He was named in the 15-member Bengal squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 domestic tournament.
During Saha's absence, Pant has consolidated his position, featuring in Test matches and even challenging Dhoni's position in ODIs and T20Is. And the youngster is likely to get a ticket to England for the 2019 ICC World Cup.
Meaning, no place for Saha and Karthik.
But Saha is unperturbed, and instead hailed Pant for grabbing the chance with both hands.
“Rishabh got his chance when I was out and just like anyone would look to grab their chance with both hands he did the same. I don’t look at him as my competition, in fact when he came to the NCA we spent a lot of time together which was nice. We hardly spoke about performances and selection," Saha said.
Saha added that selection is not in the players' hands.
"I've never played cricket thinking about selection. It's not in my hands. I'm focused on what is in my control. I'm keen to make full use of the opportunities that come my way," he said.
(With Agency inputs)
