No 1 wicket-keeper in the world, Wriddhiman Saha walking into MS Dhoni's shoes: Ravi Shastri

New Delhi: Wriddhiman Saha's rise as a world class wicket-keeper hasn't been hidden from anyone, but can he be considered as the best in the world? Well, as far as the Team India head coach Ravi Shastri is concerned, Saha already No. 1 as far as his ability with the gloves is concerned.

Shastri, in an interview with TOI, addressed many question ranging from Team India's performance against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded Test series to his plans for the 2019 World Cup.

While speaking about Saha's phenomenal rise, the former Indian captain said that the Bengal-lad is walking into MS Dhoni's shoes.

"Saha has been excellent, be it his wicketkeeping, batting or catching. He had always been an unwavering guy in domestic cricket for years and it is that hard work showing. He's grown so much in confidence and remember, he's walking into MS' (Dhoni's) shoes," said Shastri.

He was also of the opinion that Saha has already grown out of Dhoni's shadow and is presently No. 1 in the world.

"He's done phenomenally well to grow out of that shadow. The kind of 'keeping he came up with in this series - on the kind of surfaces that were on offer - makes him the No. 1 wicket-keeper in the world right now."

Earlier after the conlcusion of Colombo Test, skipper Virat Kohli had also termed Saha as the best wicket-keeper in Test cricket.

He’s right up there in world cricket among the very best. He’s the best keeper in this format right now, I’d say. You saw his keeping today, how agile he is,"Kohli said. "He can create chances at any stage. He's very safe behind the stumps and he's been outstanding." Kohli had said.

The Colombo Test was a prime example of how safe Saha is behind the stumps. The SSC pitch, which was considered a minefield, saw Saha keep against two of the best spinners in the world right now, and there was hardly any delivery which saw him lose track of the ball or leak extra runs.