This October, Wriddhiman Saha will be 40. Age thus will be occupying a little bit of space in his mind.

So, will the coming season be the last for the senior wicketkeeper-batsman? Saha, though, wasn’t candid about it.

“What I’m concerned about is doing well for Bengal, if I’m selected. We start with the Ranji Trophy (from October 11), so the focus initially will be to fare well in those red-ball games.

“If I do well in those games, I’ll then think about playing the white-ball matches (national T20s and one-dayers). But till then, I’ll be focusing only on the red-ball games this season. And of course, what the team decides will be the priority,” Saha said at a news conference at Eden Gardens on Monday.

Interestingly, it was back on July 21 in Siliguri when Saha had said the coming season would be his last. “This season is set to be my last as a cricketer. In between, I did think of hanging up my bat and pads, but Sourav Ganguly requested me to return to Bengal. It was a request I had to consider.

“But once this season is over, I’m done with cricket,” Saha had said at his childhood club Agragami Sangha.

Saha’s comments on Monday were quite contrary to what he had said in Siliguri around three weeks back. Does that mean he has changed his mind during that period?

“... Till the time I feel good, I’ll keep playing. The hunger and that eagerness to give my 100 per cent when I play is still present in me and I’ll try to keep doing so. Obviously, keeping my age in mind, which I have been doing over the last two to three years.

“Above all, I’m feeling good and that’s why I’m continuing. Everything depends on how my body responds,” Saha said.

While it is believed that Saha will be playing as a specialist batter in his comeback season for Bengal after two years with Tripura, the 39-year-old is also ready to hand over the keeping gloves to 21-year-old Abishek Porel.

“When Arun Lal was coach-cum-mentor, I had told him at that time itself to give chances to Porel as he’s young. That was two years ago. Porel was also in the India U-19 squad then.

“I may no longer have the scope of an India return. Serving Bengal is my only duty now. But Porel may have that scope.

“So, in terms of combination and if wicketkeeping helps him in the long term, he should be doing it. You’ll get to see what happens in time to come,” Saha explained.

Not just for Bengal, but young Porel had played a few impressive knocks in this year’s IPL as well in Delhi Capitals colours.

Some in the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) also feel Porel should be leading the team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Who leads Bengal in Ranji Trophy then? Is Saha ready for captaincy?

“Too early to think of it... Still some time left... The decision has to be taken keeping in mind the team’s short and long-term benefits,” he replied.

Shami availability

Bengal have reasons to feel a little more optimistic in the Ranji Trophy as Mohammed Shami will be playing in two or three matches before an important series for Team India. The senior pacer himself had said so during his recent trip to the city.

“Shami is very keen to play. And he has to play a few matches of the Ranji Trophy since he needs to prove he is fit in order to return to the Indian team.

“But he’s still in rehab at the NCA (National Cricket Academy in Bangalore). When he will be asked to join practice by the NCA, he will join. We are in communication with him,” CAB president Snehasish Ganguly said. “However, it remains to be seen how many games Shami can play.”