Gearing up for first overseas tour: Wriddhiman Saha at a felicitation programme in Siliguri. (File picture)

Wriddhiman Saha is confident that he will perform well for the Kolkata Knight Riders team in the second edition of the Indian Premier League in South Africa.

“I know that this time the IPL matches will be played on the bouncy and fast tracks of South Africa. This will also be my first major foreign tour. But I am prepared for that,” Saha, now playing for his office in Punjab’s Patiala, told The Telegraph in Siliguri over the phone today.

However, the Bengal player is aware that this time an in-form wicket-keeper-batsman of New Zealand, Brendon McCullam, will be available for the entire tournament. In that case the Siliguri boy will be the second choice of the KKR.

But the 24-year-old is not worried. “Look, the coach and team management will select the first XI before every match. My duty is to perform well and I am ready to do that,” said the Bengal wicketkeeper.

Saha could attend the practice session of the KKR only for a day before leaving for Punjab to play an inter-office Twenty20 cricket tournament. He is representing his office, the CESC Ltd, at the tourney.

The Bengal keeper, who was chosen by the Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club as the Cricketer of the Year in 2009, is not aware of the latest controversy relating to the captaincy of the KKR team.“I don’t know what is happening in Calcutta as I am out of the city. I am concentrating on my office tournament,” Saha said.

Over the past couple of months, Saha has been playing for Bengal and the East Zone, which has given him constant match practice. His maiden ton against Assam in the Ranji Trophy had helped promote the state team to the elite group of the tournament this season. In the Deodhar Trophy, the Bengal keeper scored two 50s against the North and the Central Zone to take the East to reach the finals.

Jayanta Bhowmik, Saha’s coach at the Siliguri Agragami Cricket Coaching Centre, is equally hopeful that the Bengal player will do well in Africa.“Yesterday I had discussed with him the fast and bouncy wickets. He is confident enough to perform well in his first major foreign tour,” Bhowmik said.