Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha admitted on Thursday that his exit from the national team in 2022 was “not an injustice” but rather a decision based on team requirements. Saha kept wickets at the historic Eden Gardens for the last time in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy match against Punjab on Thursday.

Despite being one of India’s best wicketkeepers, Saha’s international career officially ended in 2021 when the captain-coach duo of Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid chose KS Bharat as Rishabh Pant’s backup. Saha’s ouster from the Indian squad for the 2022 home series against Sri Lanka prompted a rare outburst, as he shared dressing-room chats with Dravid and then-chief selector Chetan Sharma.

“I wouldn’t call it injustice. That would be selfish. Maybe it wasn’t just one person’s decision. Maybe I wasn’t capable enough or didn’t deliver as expected, so they made their choice,” Saha told reporters in Kolkata. “If I had performed better, this wouldn’t have happened. I don’t dwell on it — I just take the positives from whatever comes my way.”

Saha maintained that he still has the fitness and ability to play for India. “If I was in the team, I would have contributed with good catches or good innings. I’ve tried my best for Bengal. In slip fielding, I haven’t missed a single catch. I’ve enjoyed every bit of it,” Saha, who played 40 Tests and nine ODIs for India, added.

Saha, who turned 40 last October, announced his retirement in a social media message in November. “I had planned to retire last season itself. But only because of Dadi (Sourav Ganguly) and my wife Romi pushed it to this season. Otherwise, I would have retired by now.”

Saha said he was someone who never sought attention. “I’ve always been like this. It’s my choice to be carefree. I don’t seek attention. I just want to remain the same humble player on the field. I’ve always been comfortable with that.”

“I’ve never been an emotional person, even as a child. There’s no special sentiment about playing my last match. I’ll go out with my friends like always.”