Wriddhiman Saha has spoken candidly about his exit from the Indian team in 2022, clarifying that it was a team-driven decision rather than an act of injustice.

The 40-year-old bid farewell to competitive cricket at Eden Gardens, playing his last match for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy against Punjab. His international career effectively ended in 2021 when head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma chose KS Bharat as Rishabh Pant’s backup. However, Saha holds no resentment toward the decision.

"I wouldn't call it injustice. That would be selfish. Maybe it wasn't just one person's decision. Maybe I wasn't capable enough or didn't deliver as expected, so they made their choice," he said. “If I had performed better, this wouldn't have happened. I don't dwell on it — I just take the positives from whatever comes my way.”

Despite stepping away from the national side, Saha remains confident in his skills and believes he could have still contributed.

"If I was in the team, I would have contributed with good catches or good innings. I've tried my best for Bengal. In slip fielding, I haven't missed a single catch. I've enjoyed every bit of it," he said.

While he officially announced his retirement last November, Saha had considered stepping away earlier but was persuaded to continue by former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and his wife, Romi.

"I had planned to retire last season itself. But only because of Dadi (Sourav Ganguly) and my wife Romi, I pushed it to this season. Otherwise, I would have retired by now," he revealed.

Known for his quiet and composed nature, Saha has never sought the limelight and has always maintained a grounded approach to the game.

“I've always been like this. It's my choice to be carefree. I don't seek attention. I just want to remain the same humble player on the field.”

Even on the occasion of his farewell match, he remained as composed as ever.

“I've never been an emotional person, even as a child. There's no special sentiment about playing my last match. I'll go out with my friends like always.”

Now that he has stepped away from professional cricket, Saha is looking forward to spending more time with his family, something he has missed for nearly two decades.

“Finally, after 18 years, I don't need a warm-up anymore after this match. Now, I can spend more time with my family.”

Looking back on his career, Saha acknowledged that not every dream was fulfilled, but he has no regrets.“ Some have been fulfilled, some haven't. You can't force every dream to come true. Many people already know about my retirement unofficially.”

Above all, he expressed gratitude for everything cricket has given him.  “I am here today because of cricket, which I've played my whole life. I have spent so much time with the team, 17 years in the IPL, so why should I regret anything? I'm grateful to everyone. It's difficult to name each and every person.”