IPL: Saha's no to KKR feelers, wants to prepare as a coach first

The dugouts of IPL teams have been a natural transition for several just-retired Indian cricketers, but Wriddhiman Saha feels he needs to prepare for the job first. And it is for this reason that the ‘Superman’ behind the stumps, who bid adieu to all forms of cricket after his farewell Ranji Trophy game last week, has turned down feelers from Kolkata Knight Riders.

Saha, now 40, was easily the biggest homegrown cricketing icon from Bengal after former captain Sourav Ganguly and legendary opener Pankaj Roy in the 1960s. Considered technically one of the best keepers in Indian cricket after Syed Kirmani, he has played 40 Tests (a number which could have been significantly higher had his career not overlapped with Mahendra Singh Dhoni's) and was part of several IPL franchises, the last being Gujarat Titans.

About the KKR offer, Saha said: ‘’The offer was for an assistant coach or batting coach but I did not prolong the conversation. I feel I need to prepare myself for at least a couple of years to do justice to such a role... about handling the nitty-gritty, match situations etc.’’ A candid take from someone who has a wealth of IPL experience, having played for KKR, Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Titans.

Fielding questions during a felicitation ceremony hosted by the sports journalists’ fraternity of Kolkata on Thursday, Saha said he was up for mentoring responsibilities at the state level, apart from whatever else he could do to groom young cricketers from the state. Originally from the bustling north Bengal city of Siliguri, not really known for producing quality cricketers, Saha has already signed up for a project producing young talent in his academies, including one in his city of birth.

Does he see anyone as his heir apparent from Bengal? "Abhishek Porel has already forced himself into the reckoning for his franchise, as well as at the India A level. The onus is on the youngsters to keep raising the bar, graduate to the zonal level and take it from there,’’ said Saha, whose own story has been a saga of grit and resilience against all odds.

During a career spanning over 17 years, Saha was privy to a shifting trend in Indian cricket, where a wicketkeeper’s ability to bat came to be valued over their excellence in glovework. Saha, who has three Test centuries to his name and won a Player of the Match for his back-to-back fifties against New Zealand at the Eden Gardens in 2016, himself suffered because of a perception of being not 'at par' when to came to batting with some of his younger rivals.

To a question on the shifting priorities, he said: ‘’Yes, I have been noticing that the focus on training for keepers has suffered a bit in recent times. There are specific drills to sharpen the work behind the stumps and this is necessary for Tests.’’

Finally, how does he rate India’s chances in the ICC Champions Trophy? ‘’We may not be at full strength as Jasprit Bumrah will not be there but our bench strength is strong. It’s true that our performance was below par in back-to-back Test series, but the team has started doing well in white-ball cricket again, so I am quite hopeful,’’ he said.