‘I may not have Dhoni’s build but don’t know why I’m not viewed as a T20 player’ | Cricket

It is a common thought process that T20 cricket is a young man’s game, but when it comes to the IPL, it may not always be true. Just glance through the current, ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League. The top three run scorers are Jos Buttler, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan, who are 31, 30 and 36 years old respectively. This proves that at least when it comes to the IPL, experience is as important and crucial as youth.

While this year, the IPL has continued to witness youngsters come to the fore such as Ayush Badoni, Mohsin Khan, Umran Malik, Tilak Verma and more, veteran India wicketkeeper batter Wriddhiman Saha has shown that it’s not the end of the road for the 37-year-old. Just when people were about to write him off, Saha replaced Matthew Wade at the top of the order and played a scintillating knock of 68 off 38 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Saha says he has always fancied playing the shorter formats even though the naysayers believe otherwise.

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“Don’t know why some people say I’m not a shorter-format player. But on my part, I’ve always liked to play shorter formats since my early years. I may not be having the physique of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Andre Russell or Chris Gayle. But the potential I have, I can make use of the Powerplay with my fearless attitude. And I’ve done that,” Saha said during a select media interaction.

It was an important knock for the Titans, which helped the team chase down 196. Saha followed it with 29 against Royal Challengers Bangalore and 21 against Punjab Kings, but insisted that the half-century should not be considered as an answer back in any form.

“It’s not about answering anyone. I just played for my team’s cause as we had to chase down almost 200 (196) in that game. I could contribute to a solid start which my team needed then. That’s what matters ultimately. I don’t play to show or prove anything to anyone. Not sure if that knock is a turnaround or so, but yes, it has been a boost to my intensity, which I did feel in the matches thereafter,” added Saha.