Wriddhiman Saha will return to competitive cricket at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, commencing on February 21. India’s Test wicketkeeper was on rehab at the NCA following shoulder surgery in August last year.

“I’m very close to 100 per cent. I will play the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. I’m returning to Kolkata after February 15 and will join the Bengal team’s conditioning camp on February 16 or 17,” Saha told

The Indian Express. Asked about the long lay-off and lack of game time, he said: “There’s no time to play a club match . If the CAB asks me to play a club game before playing for Bengal, I will do that.”

Bengal’s coach-cum-mentor Arun Lal expects Saha to make the adjustment quickly. “We are aware of that. But he is such a big cricketer, we are hoping that he will be able to make the adjustments very quickly,” Lal told this paper. Bengal will play their opening game against Mizoram in Cuttack.

Saha had suffered a thumb injury during the last edition of the IPL. It ruled him out of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June. Then, it was discovered that Saha was carrying a career-threatening shoulder injury, which required surgery.

Usually a laberal repair surgery rules a player out for three to four months. In Saha’s case though, the healing process, and rehab, has taken a little longer. “It can vary from four to six months. It depends on age and the pattern of the injury,” said the 34-year-old, adding: “I live by the moment. I never allowed any negativity to enter my thought process .”