IPL 2019: Wriddhiman Saha ready to open the innings for SRH if needed

It was the Indian Premier League (IPL) last year when the wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha had played his last competitive cricket match before making a comeback in this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament. His last international engagement for India was even earlier, during the tour of South Africa last year. However, Saha is nearing a full-fledged resumption as IPL 2019 approaches and the man now can aspire to compete for his lost place in the Indian Test team.

Saha excelled as opener in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

The 34-year-old, a technically sound keeper from Bengal, though has said time and again that he is in no competition with Rishabh Pant, India’s sensational wicket-keeper in Tests, and that he doesn’t feel “insecure”. Saha, who underwent a shoulder surgery last year, has been in a decent form in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and even slammed a 62-ball 129 against Arunachal Pradesh as an opener in Cuttack. Overall, he has scored 306 runs in 11 matches in the tournament.

Wriddhiman Saha, who has three Test hundreds and two centuries in T20 cricket, believes that wicket-keepers need to be versatile and bat well. “Nowadays, it’s all about being versatile. Keepers have to bat too,” News18 cited reports as quoting Saha as saying. To achieve that versatility, Saha is also okay with opening the innings for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – the team that he plays for in IPL currently.

“Of course, I would love to open in the IPL but the decision is totally up to the team management. I have returned after so many months. So this IPL has an added significance,” said Saha, who hit an unbeaten century against Kolkata Knight Riders for the Kings XI Punjab in the 2014 edition in Bengaluru.

Stressing that he is not insecure over Pant’s arrival, Saha said a sportsperson always has the risk of getting injured and he only aimed to return stronger. He conceded that Pant grabbed the opportunity that came his way with both hands and now he will do his bit to make a comeback into the Indian team.

One of Saha’s major target will be to make the Indian Test team when they go to the Windies for the inaugural world championship after the World Cup later this year.

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