Wriddhiman Saha cleared to join Tripura as a mentor-cum-captain

Wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha has been given a NOC by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) to join the Tripura state team. The CAB and Tripura Cricket Association (TCA) have also confirmed the same development. 

CAB has said that Saha had written an application to Abhishek Dalmia, and the request has been accepted. The board wished the 37-year–old luck for his tournaments in the near future. 

"Mr Wriddhiman Saha came to CAB and in an application to President Avishek Dalmiya sought the NOC from the association. CAB gave concurrence to the request of Mr Saha and provided the NOC to him for playing for another state. CAB also wished him the very best for his future endeavours," the CAB said in a statement.

Earlier this year, Saha was questioned by the joint-secretary Debabrata Das for his commitment to Bengal cricket after he opted to skip the league stages of the Ranji Trophy. 

"For me, too, it is a very sad feeling that I have to go through something like this after playing for Bengal for so long," Saha had told Sportstar last month.

It won't be too far from home, as Saha will switch to his nearby state Tripura and play the role of a mentor and captain. 

In the 2021/22 edition of the Ranji Trophy, Tripura could not secure victories in any of the three league matches. 

Joint Secretary of TCA, Kishore Das, said the agreement will be finalised next week. He added that the board is confident that Saha will do well in the role. 

"We (both TCA and Saha) have come to an agreement, in principle, on this matter. The details will be finalised next week when he comes to Agartala," Kishore Das of TCA told Cricbuzz. 

"Yesterday (Friday, July 1) we had an Apex Council meeting and the members had a video-conferencing with him. The association is unanimous that Saha will be a good pick as a professional for the state."

Saha featured for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022 and garnered 317 runs in 11 innings, with three fifties.