Wriddhiman Saha

Wriddhiman Saha IPL factfile

- Wriddhiman Saha is one of the few players to have played in every IPL season, from 2008 to 2024.

- Saha, the former India wicketkeeper-batter, has played for five franchises - Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Punjab Kings (PBKS), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Gujarat Titans (GT).

- Saha was bought by KKR in the inaugural IPL auction and was with the team till 2010. He then went to CSK in 2011 and stayed there till 2013.

- It was with Kings that Saha had his most successful time - in 57 matches for them, he scored 1115 runs at an average of 24.77.

- Saha's most impressive performance with the bat was in the IPL 2014 final where he smashed an unbeaten 55-ball 115 for Punjab Kings against KKR, but it was not enough to take his team over the line in what remains their only appearance in an IPL final.

- After being with Kings for four seasons, Saha moved to SRH before being snapped up for INR 1.9 crore at the IPL 2022 mega auction by GT. Saha's most successful IPL season so far has been with GT - 371 runs in 17 innings at 23.11 in 2023.

- Saha has also effected more than 100 dismissals behind the wickets in his IPL career - 112 before the start of IPL 2024.

Wriddhiman Saha player profile

Wriddhiman Saha was drafted into the Bengal Ranji side after regular wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta signed up with the Indian Cricket League. He grabbed the chance with both hands, becoming the 15th Bengal player to score a hundred on Ranji debut.

Though he managed only one more fifty in the remaining first-class games of the season, he was signed up by the Kolkata Knight Riders for the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League. He scored 318 runs in five games in the 2009-10 Ranji season and was picked in the squad for the first Test for the home series against South Africa. A last-minute injury to Rohit Sharma handed Saha an unexpected debut in Nagpur - as a batter.

His second Test appearance - against Australia in Adelaide in January 2012 - was also somewhat accidental, a result of MS Dhoni's suspension due to India's slow over-rate. In between, Saha played two ODIs against New Zealand, but was mostly seen as India's reserve wicketkeeper on overseas tours.

Dhoni's retirement from Test cricket after the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne in 2014 opened the doors for Saha, who had long been an understudy, to firm up his position in the team.

Cricinfo staff May 2014