Former Bihar batter, Manoj Tiwary has retired from all forms of cricket after playing Bengal’s fixture against Bihar at Eden Gardens. Notably, Manoj could play in just 15 International matches & at the time of retiring from cricket he talked about his career span. During his interview, he spilled beans on some hidden facts about his career. He was unhappy that he didn’t have a long white ball career with India. And one of the reasons for his shortened career was former India Captain MS Dhoni.
When Dhoni excluded him from the team despite good performances, he respected his decision. However, Tiwary said that he would ask questions to Dhoni that why he was dropped from India’s team despite performing well.
For the unversed, Tiwary scored his first ODI century against West Indies in December 2011 but then had to wait for seven months before getting another fixture to represent India. Tiwary missed 14 matches for India despite scoring a century & was even ignored for the Australia tour in 2012. On the other hand players like Virat Kohli, and Suresh Rain were selected for the tour.
“I’m eager to speak with him whenever I can. It’s a question I’ll pose. I’m curious to understand from Dhoni why I was axed from the team despite scoring a century, particularly during that Australia tour when even top players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Suresh Raina were struggling to find form. At this point, I’ve got nothing to lose,” Tiwary expressed.
A Glimpse of Manoj Tiwary Career Achievements
Manoj Tiwary couldn’t make his Test debut. But he had played 12 ODIs amassing 287 runs with one century & one fifty on his name. And coming to the T20I format, Tiwary featured in three T20Is & could score just 15 runs. Tiwari also proved his prowess in IPL where he played 98 IPL fixtures amassing 1695 runs. But he couldn’t make his Test debut which was a regret that he will have for his entire life after retiring from the sport. The major point in his entire statement was that despite averaging 65 in first-class games why he wasn’t included in the lineup for the Australia tour. If we consider all these points his complaint is valid.
“When I reached the milestone of playing 65 first-class matches, my batting average hovered around 65. During the Australia tour of India at that time, I performed well by scoring 130 runs in a friendly match. Subsequently, I also notched up 93 runs against England in another friendly encounter. Despite being on the brink of selection, the spot went to Yuvraj Singh instead. It was disheartening to receive the Man of the Match award for scoring a century, only to be overlooked for the Test cap. This rejection continued for 14 consecutive matches. When someone shatters your self-confidence at its peak, it can be devastating for a player,” Manoj Tiwari added.
Coming to MS Dhoni he will resume action with IPL 2024. This might be his last IPL season as Dhoni is planning to retire from all formats of Cricket after IPL 2024. Post IPL 2023 final when CSK lifted the trophy for the fifth time, Dhoni was elated with joy. He said that it’s easy for him to bid adieu to cricket but with the kind of love fans have showered him he wants to offer a return gift to them. He also said that if his body permits he will return for IPL 2024 & provide his fans a chance to witness him playing for one more year.
CSK fans especially Dhoni fans are awaiting to see their ‘Thala’ come on the field wearing their new jersey.
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