Wriddhiman Saha to return to competitive cricket

Kolkata, Feb 17 - India Test wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha on Sunday returned to competitive cricket after nine months as Bengal named their 15-member squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 domestic tournament.

"It's like the start of the season for me," Saha said of his comeback. 

Saha who suffered a shoulder injury is set to return to action after May 25 when he played for Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.

When asked about his India comeback with Rishabh Pant now taking over as the stumper in the longest format, the 34-year-old said, "I've never played cricket thinking about selection. It's not in my hands. I'm focused on what is in my control. I'm keen to make full use of the opportunities that come my way." 

India's next Test assignment will be in July when they tour the West Indies for two Tests after the 50-over World Cup.

Bengal will open their campaign against Mizoram in their group D fixture in Cuttack on February 21.

Manoj Tiwary will lead Bengal with Abhimanyu Easwaran as his deputy. Bengal had last won the title in 2010-11 season. Bengal are clubbed with Mizoram, Karnataka, Assam, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha in group D. All the matches will be held in Cuttack.

Bengal squad:
Manoj Tiwary (Captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami, Vivek Singh, Writtick Chatterjee, Ritwik Roy Chowdhury, Shahbaz Ahamad, Pradipta Pramanik, Kanishk Seth, Ashok Dinda, Sayan Ghosh, Ishan Porel, Prayas Ray Barman and Ayan Bhattacharjee.

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IANS