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Follow UsIt would be wildly exaggerating to suggest that Wriddhiman Saha alone has been responsible for Gujarat Titans’ slump in the IPL 2024 after two hugely successful seasons. But when your opener averages 17 at a strike rate of 119.3, it just sets you up for pratfall. This has been a season to forget for the former Indian wicket-keeper.
Saha has never been a natural T20 batter, but he was entrusted to do a very specific job for Gujarat Titans - bashing the powerplay while Shubman Gill anchors his way through. In the last two seasons combined, he struck at over 133 while averaging over 30 in the first six overs, but that number dropped dramatically to an SR of 108.33 and an average of 16.9 in the middle overs. Despite not being the most fluent batter, Saha had his own contribution, which in a conservative Gujarat Titans batting line-up, did his charm.
However, when Hardik Pandya left the unit to join Mumbai Indians in 2024, it left them with a bigger void to fill, making their top-order role even more crucial. And you don’t need an Excel sheet to tell you it hasn’t worked well for them.
But for context, let me add - among the batting pairs to have faced at least 100 deliveries, the pair of Saha and Gill averages the lowest at 20 runs per partnership. The slump has been fatal and real.
Saha is one of the few players to have played all seasons of the Indian Premier League, yet his true-blue arrival came in 2020 when he averaged 71.33 while striking close to 140 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The only other season that could rival it was his involvement with Punjab Kings’ final run in 2014. Albeit Saha played only four matches in 2020, his success infatuated other teams to use him as a powerplay basher - cue - Gujarat Titans. But the question must be asked - has it really paid dividends?
Landing the blame squarely on him would be too harsh, considering the GT wicket-keeper has had his moments of brilliance in the tournament. Like the innings against Lucknow Super Giants last season. Despite batting with Gill - one of the most gifted and talented shot-makers in the country – Saha looked like the man possessed. It’s a shame that we haven’t been able to see much of that this season.
His dismissal on May 4 (Saturday) against Royal Challengers Bengaluru is emblematic of Gujarat Titans’ campaign this season. For someone who feasts on short balls and pulls like a king, Saha’s failure to judge Mohammed Siraj’s length and then edge it to the keeper for a regulation catch had bigger problems written all over it.
Nothing has really worked for Gujarat this season. Be it Gill or David Miller, Sai Sudharsan or Vijay Shankar, players who made a difference last season look like pale shadows of their 2022 and 2023 avatars. Saha’s struggles have added a more diverse set of issues for GT to deal with ahead of the mega auction in 2024.
In all fairness, it is hard to imagine Saha returning to IPL ever again. His has been a career defined by grit and substance over style. He used his limitations as his Northstar to craft a T20 career that should never have existed in 2024. When it eventually comes to an end, Gujarat can celebrate his extraordinary hard work, but unfortunately for them, in a season when they needed him the most, Saha hasn't shown up.
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