Saha to meet Tripura Cricket Association officials to discuss role, clarity on captaincy

The TCA officials had earlier told Sportstar that Saha will be joining as a player-mentor, a decision on whether he will be leading the side will be decided separately.

While Saha admits that it was a difficult decision to part ways with Bengal, he already has set targets for his new stint with Tripura. (FILE)

Wriddhiman Saha will be travelling to Agartala in a day or two to meet the Tripura Cricket Association officials and is expected to get a clearer picture on his role before formally signing up for the upcoming domestic season.

The TCA officials had earlier told Sportstar that Saha will be joining as a player-mentor , a decision on whether he will be leading the side will be decided separately.

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But speaking to this publication on Wednesday, Saha, who is currently out of national reckoning, confirmed that he expects to get a role clarity soon. "I am reaching Agartala on July 8 or 9 and once I am there, I will formally have a discussion with the TCA office-bearers about the plan and the road ahead," Saha said.

"All this while, we have spoken over phone or via zoom, but there are a few things that we would like to discuss in person. For me, there is not much difference between a mentor-player or a captain-mentor role, but we will talk it out in details during our meeting and finalise things accordingly," the 37-year-old said.

After skipping the Ranji Trophy for Bengal , Saha met Cricket Association of Bengal president Avishek Dalmiya last week and formally obtained a No Objection Certificate from the state association.  

Saha played for Bengal for more than a decade, and this time, soon after the Bengal squad for the Ranji knockouts was released by the CAB, Saha had a long conversation with Dalmiya, where he indicated that he may no longer play for Bengal.

He was upset with comments by a senior CAB official, who had raised questions over Saha’s commitment after he decided to skip the group stage of the Ranji Trophy due to personal reasons. He even exited the Bengal team's WhatsApp group, despite coach Arun Lal having a word with the India international.

While Saha admits that it was a difficult decision to part ways with Bengal, he already has set targets for his new stint with Tripura. 

"Personally, I want to contribute to the team's success and ensure that they do well. And in terms of the team goal, our aim will be to build on the success that Tripura enjoyed in domestic cricket in the recent past and build on it," Saha said.

Last season, Tripura had reached the knockouts of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and the TCA officials are hopeful that Saha's inclusion will boost the young team and even though both parties remained tight-lipped on the matter, several sources indicate that the association has offered Rs 1.40 crore (approximately) yearly package to the India international.

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After returning to Kolkata from a vacation, Saha has already started preparing for the season. He featured for his office team CESC in a fixture against Income Tax at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday and contributed 41 runs with the willow. 

After being left out of the Indian Test team for the home series against Sri Lanka in March, Saha went to the Indian Premier League and had a successful stint with the champion side Gujarat Titans. Opening the innings for Titans alongside Shubman Gill, Saha amassed 317 runs. While an India call-up may be a distant dream for the stumper-batter, he is keen on continuing with domestic cricket for at least a few more years.