Despite scoring a century for India and believing he had the potential to match players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, retired cricketer Manoj Tiwary expressed confusion over his exclusion from the team.
Manoj Tiwary, the seasoned Bengal cricketer who recently retired, voiced his confusion over being excluded from the Indian team despite his century. He expressed his disappointment, believing he could have reached the heights of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had he been given the chance.
Despite a noteworthy ODI career with 12 matches and 287 runs, including a century against West Indies in Chennai, Tiwary was dropped under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy.
“I would like to ask Dhoni why was I dropped from the playing XI in 2011 after scoring a century. I had the potential to be a hero just like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli but could not be. Today, when I see many people getting more opportunities on TV, I feel sad,” Tiwari was quoted as saying by the PTI.
Speaking at the Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club in Kolkata, Tiwary also raised concerns about the growing focus of young players on the IPL over the Ranji Trophy.
“I can observe that young players have adopted an IPL-centric mindset. Those who don’t play IPL often go to Dubai or other places whenever they find some free time. However, this trend is diminishing the significance of the prestigious Ranji Trophy. Now, expressing any opinion might lead to a ban. I have already been penalized with a 20 percent reduction in my match fee for just one post,” Tiwary added.
With a stunning domestic record, Tiwary has 0,195 runs in 148 matches at an average of 47.86, including 30 centuries. In List A cricket, he scored 5,581 runs in 169 matches and amassed 3,436 runs in 183 T20s.
Last Updated on February 20, 2024
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