When he gave his approval to play, Saha made it clear that he will not be available for the white-ball match of the domestic season. I knew I wouldn’t last the rigors of another full season. He was also partly influenced by his desire for someone else to take his place, because he had already informed his previous IPL franchise, Gujarat Titans, that he would no longer be playing in the tournament.
“I’ve been trying hard for the last year. But due to my physical condition and injuries, I won’t be able to play the whole season,” he says. “That’s why I chose the most important format – the Ranji Trophy. It will be difficult [to carry on] but I will play and hopefully we will qualify. If we do it, I will play until the end of the season; otherwise, I will end up in Eden Gardens.”
Saha laughs when asked if the decision to consider retirement was tough. “It was very easy,” he responds spontaneously. “I was already prepared not to play this year. But when my wife and Sourav Ganguly pressured me, I couldn’t refuse.”
Still considered among the best goalkeepers in India, perhaps even the entire world, Saha appears to be at peace with his decision. He is completely happy with the way his career has panned out, even though his career coincided at different times with two mavericks – MS Dhoni in the early years and Rishabh Pant in the latter. Have you ever considered yourself unlucky?
“No, I don’t think so,” he says. “There are many of them who didn’t play despite working so hard. Amol Muzumdar, Padmakar Shivalkar sir. I feel lucky and proud to have played 40 Tests for India.”
Looking ahead, Saha is open to coaching and mentoring opportunities. It is clear that the first rights will be with Bengal. “Not yet [thought of the immediate future]“But if I get an offer from another state or from Bengal, I will think about it,” he laughs. “If not, family life (laughs). I’ve been playing cricket since I was little. I haven’t done anything else. I want to share as much knowledge as I have in cricket. I’ve already started doing that in a couple of academies back home.”
“When I started, I was a goalkeeper. I knew I could never be as good as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman and Virat Kohli,” he says. “I wanted to make a name for myself in what I did since I was little, so I put more emphasis on grounds maintenance.”
He grew up working with Kiran More, Saba Karim and Deep Dasgupta. Chats with Dhoni over the years and occasional interactions with Adam Gilchrist and Ian Healy fueled his quest to be his best self. As a seasoned professional, Saha says he is happy to chat to young goalkeepers and help them.
“I have spoken with the goalkeepers of the women’s team and we continue talking to each other,” she says. “Last IPL, Dhruv Jurel spoke to me. Rishabh [Pant] He’s done it all the time when we play together. The understanding was good, he used to share his experiences, I used to give him as much information as possible.”
As Saha reflects on his career, he is happy to have continued playing for three more years despite being told at the end of 2021 by then coach Rahul Dravid that the Indian team would leave him behind.
“That door closed, but I knew the IPL was still there,” he says. “It wasn’t like I was demoralized by it. I’ve been playing for three or four years since then. Why did I start playing? Because I like it. Last year, I stopped liking the game and I planned to quit. Leave. After this season , I will move on.
“Hopefully we can make it to the final. If not, I’ll end up at Eden Gardens.”
Shashank Kishore is Senior Deputy Editor at ESPNcricinfo
