Kolkata (West Bengal): Former Bengal and India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has said that he had the potential to be a national hero like Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli if he had been given a chance in the national side for a longer time.
Tiwary spoke during his felicitation by the Calcutta Sports Journalists' Club here. The 38-year-old said that he would like to ask former Indian skipper MS Dhoni why he was dropped from the national team in 2011 even after scoring a hundred.
“I would like to ask Dhoni why I was dropped from the playing XI in 2011 after scoring a century. I had the potential to be a hero, just like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but I could not be. Today, when I see many people getting more opportunities on TV, I feel sad,” Manoj stated.
Manoj scored a century in December 2011 against West Indies and also earned the Man of the Match award. After that knock, he had to stay out of the national side for fourteen fixtures.
The right-handed batter recently announced his retirement from all forms of cricket and his felicitation was organised by the Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club. The cricketer received a golden bat at the event. Manoj had taken a retirement a year back but withdrew it at the request of his wife Sushmita. He now wants to give time to his family.
Manoj also shared his mother and father’s contribution to his journey. He expressed regret at being elusive from the Ranji Trophy title for twenty years. However, he wants to fulfill the dream if he gets an opportunity to make it by working in the position of a coach. Manoj is an MLA from Howrah constituency from 2021. After his cricket career, he wants to devote his time to the welfare of people in Howrah.
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