Wriddhiman Saha has been a part of visiting teams during past IPL matches at the Eden.

During the 2014 Qualifier I between Kolkata Knight Riders and then Kings XI Punjab, the wicketkeeper-batsman was on the Punjab roster when the two sides clashed at the Eden. During his stint with Chennai Super Kings too, Saha had visited his home ground on quite a few occasions as a member of the visiting contingent.

But for Tuesday’s Qualifier I, when his team, Gujarat Titans, face-off against Rajasthan Royals, it will be a different occasion. That is because this game could mark the beginning of a permanent “visitor” tag on Saha at the Eden, unless of course he changes his mind about seeking a No-Objection Certificate from the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) to ply his trade elsewhere.

Saha is said to have been upset by the CAB joint secretary’s “hurtful” words questioning his attitude towards playing for Bengal and the state association not even giving him a courtesy call before finalising the Bengal squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy quarter final. Saha decided not to play for the state ever again and went ahead with seeking the NOC.

To go by what Saha said on the eve of Qualifier I, it appears he is mentally prepared to be called a “visitor” when he next plays at the Eden, which has been his home ground since his Ranji debut for Bengal in the 2007-08 season.

“I’m representing Gujarat Titans now, so my home ground at present is the Motera stadium (in Ahmedabad). And since I’m no longer with KKR, the Eden is not my home. I look at it this way,” Saha said on Monday.

“I have played quite a few games here in the past, but at present, this is an away game for me. As for what I’m going to do after this IPL, I’m not able to answer that now,” Saha said.

But could this play on Saha’s mind when he steps out on the field on Tuesday? “Not really. He’s a professional cricketer and his focus will be on delivering for his team, so this shouldn’t be a factor,” Bengal head coach Arun Lal told The Telegraph.

Lal, however, added: “But yeah, such thoughts of being a visitor at home and so on, would have never arisen had Wriddhi not asked for the NOC. He had an excellent opportunity at his disposal to make a statement, which could have been a fitting reply to his critics.

“It’s something he could well regret for the rest of his life. But let’s see if he somehow changes his mind after Tuesday’s game.”