Don’t consider Pant as my competitor: Wriddhiman Saha

Kolkata: Back to playing competitive cricket after a long injury layoff, India's Test wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha says he does not consider stumper Rishabh Pant as a rival and is happy at the younster's success.

"I don't see him as my competitor. I have never regarded anyone as a competitor since the time I was a child. It's not that I have to better him and I am not getting a chance because he is there. My job is to play to the best of my potential and keep performing. I have always done that and kept waiting for my chance," Saha told IANS in an interview.

Praising the 21-year old who is now making a case for himself across formats, Saha said Pant has proved himself since making his debut.

"He is very good. He has a lot of potential and has done reasonably well since getting a look in. If he wasn't good enough, he would not be getting runs in the IPL or would not have come in the reckoning."

Saha picked up a thumb injury on May 25 last year during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders which ruled him out of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June.

Later, Saha was diagnosed with a career-threatening injury for which he underwent surgery on his right shoulder in Manchester.

In the meantime, Pant grabbed the opportunity with both hands by scoring hundreds in England and Australia and averaging almost 50 in nine tests.

According to experts, Pant is still not at the same level as Saha behind the stumps with the former's glovework still a work in progress. IANS

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