Under the spirited guidance of first-time captain Hardik Pandya, Gujarat Titans won the IPL 2022 trophy in their maiden tournament outing. They defeated Sanju Samson's Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in the final, with captain Pandya claiming the 'Player of the Match' award for his all-round spectacle.
Remarkably, throughout the Gujarat Titans' victorious campaign this year, the franchise witnessed several players taking up the onus and rising to the challenge. One of those clutch seasonal performances came from none other than their dynamic wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha.
Mohammed Shami praises teammate Saha post-IPL 2022 win
Team India veteran and Gujarat Titans speedster Mohammed Shami praised his teammate Saha and expressed confidence in his comeback to the national side.
Shami, who has played international and domestic cricket alongside the wicketkeeper, said, "He is with me from the last 20 years. We know each other well; we know what we can do. Everybody has seen the capabilities that he has."
Talking about Saha's potential return to the Indian team, the legendary pacer added, "Bas Chance milne ki der hai" (translation: it's just a matter of time before getting selected).
The 37-year-old gloveman last played for India in a home Test match against New Zealand in December 2021. Since then, he missed the South African Test tour and the home series against Sri Lanka.
Saha was not considered for India's 17-member Test squad for the upcoming fifth Test match against England in July.
"This is my fifth final and I am winning it for the second time. This feels good. The way we have played...some people said that our squad is not good. We have proved everybody wrong throughout the season and we have won the final. It feels really good," Saha said.
In an international career launched in 2010, the Bengal-based cricketer has only played 40 Tests and 9 ODIs for the country.