Wriddhiman Prasanta Saha is an Indian cricketer who plays Test matches for India and first class matches domestically for Bengal. He is also the first cricketer to score a century in an Indian Premier League final. He plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League. In 2017, Saha became the first Indian wicket-keeper to score centuries in home as well as outside Asia. Saha made his Test debut in February 2010, as a specialist batsman. When he got a permanent place in the Indian Test XI as a wicket-keeper, there were arguments about his place in the backdrop of him replacing the long-serving MS Dhoni, who had scored nearly 5000 runs in Test cricket at an average nearly 40. Saha scored his maiden Test century at St. Lucia on the tour of the Caribbean; on that occasion, India, having been put in to bat, were at 126/5. Saha combined with Ashwin, had a long partnership. India went on to win the Test He has since added two more centuries and his batting average has more than doubled. Saha's second hundred came when India was against Bangladesh. Saha has played 23 Tests as India's designated wicket-keeper, and his numbers on the batting front compare favourably to some of India's previous wicket-keepers. In terms of runs, only Farokh Engineer, MS Dhoni and Nayan Mongia had scored more.
Domestic career
Saha played for the Under-19s and the Under-22s team before being promoted to first-class cricket. Saha made his one-day debut in the Ranji Trophy competition of 2006/07, against Assam. He scored a duck in his debut innings in the following match. As he was nearing the end of his brief run in the Ranji Trophy, he played three one-day games for the East Zone in the Deodhar Trophy. Saha made his first-class debut in the 2007–08 Ranji Trophy, against Hyderabad he scored 111 not out. Saha also made the East Zone team in the Duleep Trophy in the 2007–08 season. Saha's century for Bengal on his Ranji debut landed him a contract with IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2008. Saha was named in the India A squad which played three limited overs match against the Israel Invitational XI, players made the side on the basis of his performances in the Indian Premier League. India A won the series 3–0, Saha scored an unbeaten 85 in the third match in which India chased 235. Saha also has a record of making fastest century in domestic cricket. He scored 102 runs of just 20 balls at an strike rate of 510 with 4 fours and 14 sixes in 2018.
International career
Test career
On 28 January 2010, Saha was included in the Indian Test squad as a reserve wicket-keeper in place of Dinesh Karthik for the upcoming home Test match series against South Africa. As Saha was a reserve gloveman, he was not expected to play, but V. V. S. Laxman failed to recover from injury and Rohit Sharma, the only reserve specialist batsman in the squad, injured himself playing football in the warm-up on the first morning. As another batsman could not be flown in on time, Saha was given his Test debut against South Africa. He scored a duck in the first innings, but he scored 36 in the second innings. In both innings, fast bowlerDale Steyn took his wicket. India lost the Test and Saha was dropped from the squad for the second Test which India subsequently won to level the two-match series. Saha played in the fourth match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in January 2012 in place of MS Dhoni, who was banned for slow over rate, where he made 35 runs in the first which helped Virat Kohli get his maiden Test Century. He also toured South Africa in December 2013, New Zealand in February 2014 and England in July 2014 as part of the test squad but did not get a game. On 9 December 2014, he was selected to play his first test match since January 2012 against Australia at the same ground where he played his last match because MS Dhoni was out with a thumb injury. He made 25 runs in the first inning and 13 runs in the second inning. He also played in the fourth match of the series and made 35 runs. In 2016, he was selected for India's tour of West Indies as a wicket-keeper following Dhoni's retirement from test cricket. In the first test against West Indies, Saha became the third wicket-keeper in Indian cricket history to feature in six dismissals in a test innings. On 19 March 2017, Saha scored a century at JSCA International Stadium against Australia making 117 off 233 balls which include 8 fours and 1 six. India were 328/6. Still, 123 behind Australia's first innings total of 451 when he came to bat and added 199 for the seventh wicket with Cheteshwar Pujara. On 8 January 2018, against South Africa Saha became the first wicket-keeper for India to take ten catches in a single Test. In November 2019, in the second Test against Bangladesh, Saha became the fifth wicket-keeper for India to affect 100 dismissals in Test cricket.
ODI career
After he scored 115 runs in the 2014 IPL final he was called to tour Bangladesh as part of the 15 man Squad to 3 ODIs against Bangladesh Cricket Team.
In 2014 IPL Auction Saha was purchased by Kings XI Punjab as a specialist wicketkeeper. In the tournament Saha not only took some good catches but also contributed with the bat. He made 362 runs at an average of 32.90 and a strike rate of 145.38. In the IPL Final against Kolkata Knight Riders Saha became the first player to score a hundred in an IPL final when he made an unbeaten 115 runs from 55 balls, including 10 fours and 8 sixes.
