Bengal all-rounder Saurashish Lahiri called it quits from first class and club cricket on Friday.
It is learnt that the cricketer arrived at the decision to hang up his boots following bouts of discussion with former India captain and Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly, Bengal skipper Manoj Tiwary and Bengal’s MoS for sports Laxmi Ratan Shukla. the decision was also announced in the presence of all three.
Lahiri, being an off-spinner was Bengal’s backbone since the year started his first class career. The lanky offie launched his career 1999-00 in a Ranji Trophy fixture with Bihar at Jamshedpur and never had to look back. He represented Bengal in first class 100 matches with 256 scalps.
Incidentally, his last Twenty20 match for Bengal was also against Jharkhand (earlier it was Bihar) in last March.
Making his debut as a offie, Lahiri always had that batting skills to chip in with useful runs when the team is is dire straits. One numerous occasions, Lahiri saved Bengal the blushes after their batsmen left the ground in quick successions. Records also speak the same. He has two first class centuries under his belt along with six fifties. His aggregate is 2240 runs from 139 innings.
However, Lahiri’s scope of playing further from Bengal was dealt with a big blow when Bengal roped in Pragyan Ojha as a professional ahead of the last season.
“Cricket has been my only passion since my childhood. I am happy that I have played for Bengal all these years…Initially it was disappointing being dropped, but I have no regrets. I am really overwhelmed by the way they (Cricket Association of Bengal) have stood by me. I could not have asked for more,” Lahiri was quoted as saying by Cricinfo.