Did Sai Baba ever say he would return after leaving his physical body?

Yes, the scriptures confirm that Sai Baba explicitly promised his devotees he would return. Chapter 43 recounts that before he left, Maharaj told his followers, "As an eight-year-old child, I will appear again." This is described as the word of a saint that should not be taken in vain, and it gave the devotees "full confidence" that he would come back. The text presents his departure not as a final end but as a journey, after which he will return for the salvation of his devotees, reinforcing the eternal nature of his presence and the deep karmic bond he shares with them.