PERSONAL INFORMATION
Full Name: Wriddhiman Prasanta Saha
Nickname(s): Papali, Pops
Profession: Cricketer (Wicket-Keeper Batsman)
Date of Birth: 24 October 1984 (Wednesday)
Age (as of 2024): 40 Years
Birthplace: Siliguri, West Bengal, India
Zodiac sign: Scorpio
Nationality: Indian
Hometown: Siliguri, West Bengal, India
Religion: Hinduism
Marriage Date: 28 June 2011
Age: 40 Years
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EDUCATION
School: Siliguri Boys’ High School, Siliguri, West Bengal
College/University: Siliguri College Of Commerce, West Bengal
Educational Qualification: College Drop-out
PHYSICAL STATISTICS
Height (approx.): 5′ 7″ (170 cm)
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Hair Colour: Black
Height: 5′ 7″
FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS
Marital Status: Married
Wife/Spouse: Romi Saha aka Debarati
Children: Son – Anvay Saha Daughter – Anvi Saha
Parents: Father – Prasanta Saha Mother – Maitrayee Saha
Siblings: Brother – Aniirban Saha
Wife: Debarati
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
International Debut: ODI – On 28 November 2010 vs New Zealand in Guwahati Test – On 6 February 2010 vs South Africa in Nagpur
Awards: Banga Bibhushan award by the Government of West Bengal (2022)
OTHER INFORMATION
Retirement Date: 3 November 2024 (from all formats)
Jersey Number: #6 (Indian cricket team) #6 (Gujarat Titans)
Domestic/State Team: First-class • Bengal • Tripura IPL • Gujarat Titans • Sunrisers Hyderabad • Kings XI Punjab • Chennai Super Kings • Kolkata Knight Riders
Coach/Mentor: Jayanta Bhowmik
Records (main ones): • First Indian wicketkeeper to take 10 catches in a single Test (against South Africa in 2018) • First cricketer to score a century in an Indian Premier League final (2014) • First Indian wicketkeeper to the associated in the dismissals of the top five batsmen in a Test innings (India Vs West Indies 2017) • The third Indian wicketkeeper to effect six dismissals in a Test innings, joining Syed Kirmani (vs New Zealand at Christchurch in February 1976) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (vs New Zealand at Wellington in April 2009) (India Vs West Indies 2017)
Hobbies: Playing video games
Social Media: • Instagram • YouTube • Twitter
INTERESTING BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Wriddhiman Saha’s journey into the world of cricket is deeply intertwined with his family’s sporting legacy. Born to a father who once played both football and cricket in the local leagues of Siliguri, Saha was exposed to the joys and challenges of sports from an early age. Unfortunately, his father’s own aspirations were curtailed by financial difficulties, setting the stage for Wriddhiman’s own struggle to pursue his dreams. As a child, he harbored ambitions of becoming a Formula 1 driver, but the lack of financial resources and awareness surrounding motorsport in India forced him to relinquish that dream. Instead, he gravitated towards cricket, a sport that would soon become his passion and livelihood.
As a teenager, Saha began honing his cricketing skills, initially using tennis balls to practice as a medium pacer. His journey took a significant turn when he transitioned to playing with leather balls, adopting the role of a wicket-keeper. This marked the beginning of a promising career that would soon see him making headlines. In the 2007-08 season of the Ranji Trophy, he made an indelible impression by becoming only the fifteenth Bengal player to score a century on debut, posting an unbeaten 111 runs against Hyderabad. This remarkable performance not only showcased his potential but also earned him an Indian Premier League (IPL) contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2008, where he began his professional cricketing career.
Saha’s rise continued as his impressive performances caught the attention of selectors. Playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural IPL season allowed him to step into the limelight, securing a place on the India A squad shortly thereafter. His steady progress was punctuated by a significant opportunity when he was called up for a surprise Test debut against South Africa in February 2010, due to injuries in the senior squad. Although he faced a disappointing start with a duck in his debut innings, Saha’s resilience was evident as he continued to develop his game. In a personal chapter, he found love on the social networking site Orkut and married Debarati in 2011, after a four-year courtship.
After three fruitful seasons with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Saha shifted to the Chennai Super Kings in 2011, serving as a reserve wicketkeeper for the legendary MS Dhoni. His career took another turn when he played a crucial role in the fourth match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in 2012, stepping in for Dhoni and contributing valuable runs. Later, in the 2014 IPL auction, he joined Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) as a specialist wicketkeeper, where he made headlines once more with a scintillating century in the IPL final against Kolkata Knight Riders, scoring 115 runs off just 55 balls. His performance throughout the season solidified his place in the Indian Test team following Dhoni’s retirement from Test cricket in 2014, allowing him to become the regular wicketkeeper for the national side.
The subsequent years were a rollercoaster for Saha, characterized by remarkable achievements and significant challenges. He earned his first Man of the Match award in October 2016 and made headlines again in March 2017 with a crucial century against Australia, showcasing his knack for performing under pressure. Saha made a record for scoring the fastest century in domestic cricket in 2018, hitting 102 runs off just 20 balls. However, his career faced setbacks due to injury, leading to his exclusion from the England tour that year, as Rishabh Pant took his place. Despite these challenges, Saha remained resilient. He was named in the squad for the World Test Championship final in 2021, and in 2022, he made headlines for standing up against bullying from a sports journalist, resulting in a two-year ban for the reporter from the BCCI.
In 2022, Saha faced a pivotal moment in his career when he moved to Tripura after playing for Bengal for 15 years, a decision driven by issues with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Yet, after a heartfelt conversation with Sourav Ganguly, Saha decided to return, expressing gratitude towards his wife and Ganguly for persuading him to continue playing. In his own words, he noted, “It was because of Dadi (Ganguly) and my wife that I decided to play this season and retire from Bengal.” As he continues to navigate his career, Saha remains a testament to perseverance, embodying the spirit of a player committed to his craft while also celebrating the familial and societal ties that have shaped his journey.
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Note: All biographical information compiled from publicly available sources.