Easily one of the finest wicket-keepers in Indian cricket, Wriddhiman Saha straight away got into action for Gujarat Titans this season. In our opening match against Chennai Super Kings, he took two brilliant catches behind the stumps off Rashid Khan and followed it up with a useful cameo with the bat. 

Besides the catches taken, there were some superman moments on the field. Clearly, our Titans have set a pretty high standard for themselves and it is evident in the workrate shown by the players on the field. While it all looks complicated on the outside, Saha states that he keeps it very simple on the field.  

“I always like to keep it simple, whether it is for team India or for any of the domestic teams I’m playing,” Saha said in the press conference on Friday. 

“We try to be thorough with our preparations for each game in the TATA IPL. We always try to discuss between ourselves and with coaches as to what can be done better. The daily planning is a lot more thorough and detailed in the IPL. We had a few good training camps after coming here. We set a benchmark that way and are following that.”

Saha goes all-out in the powerplay overs and has been immensely successful with his approach for the Gujarat Titans. He also became the third Indian opener in TATA IPL history to score 1,000 runs in the field-restricted overs, a stat he wasn’t aware about. 

“I didn’t know about this stat (he smiles). Normally, when the ball is on the radar, I go after it. Being aggressive at the start increases the chances of scoring big. So I take my chances and the team gives me the freedom. My playing style since childhood has been this way and it has helped I guess,” Saha explained. 

“When a team gets a good start in powerplay, they’re 30-40% ahead of their opponent in the game. It makes the job easier for the batters to come. We have players like David Miller or Rahul Tewatia coming in the lower order, so it makes my job easier.” 

When asked about his role in the team as a senior player, Saha added “In our team, there’s no segregation between seniors and juniors. We do everything together, let it be attending events or our practice sessions. Everyone shares thoughts with me, I share my thoughts with them. We want to continue that.” 

The Titans take on Kolkata Knight Riders next on Sunday.