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Wriddhiman Saha Turns Down Duleep Trophy Spot After India Decide To Look Past Him

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Experienced Bengal opener, Abhimanyu Easwaran, has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the East Zone team in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2023, commencing on June 28 in Bengaluru. Assisting him as the deputy captain will be left-arm spinner, Shahbaz Nadeem. However, the absence of the renowned Wriddhiman Saha from the East Zone squad has raised eyebrows.


Wriddhiman Saha's sacrifices East Zone spot 

The decision to include Saha in the Duleep Trophy 2023 squad came after young wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan withdrew from the tournament. Tripura selector, Jayanta Dey, expressed his desire to include Saha and even reached out to the veteran player. Surprisingly, the seasoned stumper declined the opportunity to be a part of the East Zone squad for Duleep Trophy 2023.

Saha conveyed to Dey that the Duleep Trophy is primarily intended for players aspiring to represent India. In a selfless display of sportsmanship, the 38-year-old mentioned that if he was not going to play for India, it would be unfair for him to occupy a spot that could otherwise be filled by a promising young cricketer. Consequently, the selectors had to make an alternative choice and opted for Abhishek Porel.


"To be fair to Wriddhiman, he said that Duleep Trophy is for India hopefuls. If I am never going to play for India, then doesn’t make sense in preventing a youngster from making a case. Hence, we selected Abhishek Porel, who was the third choice," said Dey as quoted by News18.

Interestingly, Assam all-rounder, Riyan Parag, has secured a place in the 15-member East Zone squad. Despite a lacklustre season with the Rajasthan Royals in the recently concluded IPL 2023, the 21-year-old has managed to earn a spot in the East Zone squad.

All-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed and pacer Mukesh Kumar, add further depth and versatility to the squad. Notably, Bengal's promising fast bowler Ishan Porel and spinner Anukul Roy have also been rewarded for their consistent performances and have been included in the squad.


East Zone squad for Duleep Trophy 2023

Abhimanyu Easwaran (c), Santanu Mishra, Sudip Gharami, Riyan Parag, A. Majumdar, Bipin Saurabh, Abhishek Porel (wk), K Kushagra (wk), Shahbaz Nadeem (vc), Shahbaz Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Anukul Roy, M Mura Singh, Ishan Porel