Ranji Trophy 2022: Wriddhiman Saha leaves Bengal team WhatsApp group; denies to play knockouts

Veteran India Test wicket keeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha has denied a request from Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) to feature in the Ranji Trophy 2022 knockouts.

Wriddhiman Saha in action for India (Courtesy: BCCI/Twitter)
By Samrat Chakraborty | May 26, 2022 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Veteran India Test wicket keeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha has denied a request from Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) to feature in the Ranji Trophy 2022 knockout stage. Bengal are scheduled to play Jharkhand in the quarterfinals from June 6 in Bengaluru. CAB chairman Avishek Dalmiya confirmed that the board wanted Saha to play in the crucial stage but he has vehemently denied the offer. The veteran is currently a part of the Gujarat Titans franchise which has reached the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 final which is scheduled to take place on May 29.

“The Cricket Association of Bengal wanted Wriddhiman Saha to play for Bengal at this crucial juncture especially when Bengal would be fighting in the Knockout stage in a bid to win the Ranji Trophy after becoming the top ranked team in the country at the end of the Group Stage. I had expressed this to Wriddhiman and had requested him to reconsider his decision. However, Wriddhiman has now communicated to us that he is not willing to play the Ranji knockouts,” CAB president Avishek Dalmiya said on Thursday.

Wriddhiman Saha left Bengal team WhatsApp group

The development comes a day after the veteran reportedly left the Bengal Ranji team WhatsApp group. He also had a long conversation with the CAB president where he clarified that he would no longer be playing for the state team. His decision to withdraw from the side comes after a senior CAB official questioned his commitment  to play for Bengal after he withdrew from the Ranji trophy group stage due to personal reasons.  

Ranji Trophy 2022: Schedule and fixtures for knockouts

The knockout matches of the prestigious Ranji Trophy will be played after the completion of the Indian Premier League 2022. The league stage of the Ranji Trophy was completed before the start of the lucrative tournaments with eight state teams set to play in the knockout stage. The resumption of the Ranji Trophy season will see a few players joining their respective state teams from the IPL 2022 bio-bubble.

It is reported that there will be no mandatory quarantine in place for the players featuring in the Ranji Trophy but bio-bubble will be maintained for the safety of the players and other support staff. Furthermore, the teams and the players will have to submit a negative RT-PCR report on their arrival to the venue.





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