"No one has the right to tell a player he should retire" - Rajkumar Sharma on Wriddhiman Saha controversy

Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma has expressed disappointment over the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s treatment of wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha. According to Sharma, no one has the right to tell a player that he should retire.

A massive controversy erupted in Indian cricket after Saha revealed that he was informed by the chief selector that he wouldn’t be considered for the Indian Test team henceforth. He also stated that head coach Rahul Dravid had suggested him to think about retirement.

Reacting to the Saha saga, Sharma lamented the growing controversies in Indian cricket. Speaking on the Khelneeti podcast, he said:

“There have been too many controversies over the last 3-4 months, which is not good for Indian cricket. Regarding Saha, there are conflicting statements coming out from different officials. No one has the right to tell a player that he should retire. It is his individual decision. Selecting or not selecting a player is a different issue. Dravid may have spoken to Saha in good faith, but the controversy has become too big now. BCCI needs to stay away from such controversies.”

Speaking to the media, the 37-year-old keeper-batter also stated that he had received a text message from BCCI president Sourav Ganguly in November last year, assuring him of a place in the team. Saha claimed he received the message after scoring a half-century against New Zealand while batting with a stiff neck.

According to Sharma, it is important that officials in the BCCI stick to their defined roles and not interfere in selection matters. He added:

“The job of the selectors should be done by the selectors only. Roles have been defined in the BCCI and everyone should stick to theirs. It's sad to see the Saha controversy. He has been the world’s No.1 wicketkeeper and a silent contributor. He deserved better treatment that this.”

The Bengal wicketkeeper-batter has played 40 Tests for India, scoring 1353 runs, including three hundreds and six fifties, at an average of 29.41.

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“We are creating good bench strength” - Rajkumar Sharma on India’s whitewash of Windies amid Saha controversy

Despite the off-field controversies, Team India managed to get the better of West Indies 3-0 in the T20I series. Earlier, they thumped the Windies by the same margin in the ODIs as well.

Impressed with India’s on-field performance, Sharma said:

“India are playing as a combined unit. Everyone has been performing well. West Indies are a strong side in T20s. Anyone who is getting a chance in the Indian team is grabbing the opportunity. We are creating a good bench strength, which will come in handy in case some of the regulars are unfit.”

Team India will next take on Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series at home from February 24-27.