This one has nothing to do with averages, strike rates or wickets. It is a two-minute video of a father teaching his daughter a lesson about humility — and it has resonated with cricket fans across the country far more than any boundary count or bowling spell.

The Conversation That Went Viral

Posted by Wriddhiman Saha’s wife Romi Mitra, the short clip shows a very simple exchange between the former India wicketkeeper and his daughter Anvi, who has clearly developed a bit of a fan crush on Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill.

Anvi’s ask was direct: she wanted her father to set up a meeting with Gill.

Saha’s answer was even more direct.

“You want to meet Shubman Gill? OK! But like everyone else, you’ll have to wait in line and meet him. No unfair advantage will be given.”

When Anvi pushed back — reminding him that he was a cricket star who had shared a dressing room with Gill at Gujarat Titans — Saha was equally quick to deflate the argument.

“That was in the past.”

The moment, brief as it is, carries something that has been widely appreciated. Saha — who played with Gill and shared one of the franchise’s most destructive opening partnerships across IPL 2022, 2023 and 2024 — could easily have leveraged that relationship. Instead, he told his daughter that being a former cricketer and an ex-teammate does not entitle anyone to special access.

A Partnership Worth Remembering

Saha and Gill were one of the most feared powerplay combinations in IPL history during their time together at GT. In their iconic 2023 outing against LSG, the two added 142 runs off 12.1 overs — Gill making an unbeaten 94 off 51 balls, Saha a devastating 81 off 43. That stand broke the GT franchise record for the highest partnership for any wicket at that point in time.

Earlier in the 2022 season — GT’s debut campaign — they had already announced themselves as a lethal pairing, putting on 106 off 73 balls in a statement performance.

In three seasons at GT, Saha scored 371 runs in his final full IPL campaign (2023), consistently providing the explosive start that allowed Gill the time to build his innings from the other end.

The Farewell That Came With a Guard of Honour

Saha retired from all forms of cricket on February 1, 2025, playing his final match — a Ranji Trophy game for Bengal against Punjab at Eden Gardens. His Bengal teammates gave him a guard of honour on the second day of that match, a fitting send-off for a man who had given 17 years to Indian cricket.

Mohammed Shami — Saha’s longtime Bengal colleague — spoke for the entire cricket fraternity in his tribute.

“Today we bid farewell to a true legend of Indian cricket, Wriddhiman Saha. His brilliant glove work and countless memorable moments, both on and off the field, have left an indelible mark. From the Ranji Trophy to the national team, his dedication and passion have inspired us all. Wishing you the best in your next chapter.”

At the international level, Saha played 40 Tests and nine ODIs for India, scoring 1,353 Test runs at an average of 29.41. In 141 first-class matches, he accumulated 7,169 runs at an average of 48.68, with 14 centuries and 44 fifties. In the post-Dhoni era, he was arguably the finest pure wicketkeeper Test cricket produced in India — a comparison that was as generous as his bat-pad glovework was precise.

His last India Test came in December 2021 against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium, and the years that followed were marked by the poignant dignity of a great player managing the long wind-down with grace.

The video with Anvi shows he is managing the retirement just as gracefully.