Manoj Tiwary, the 37-year-old veteran cricketer and West Bengal Sports Minister, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Thursday, August 3. Tiwary had been actively playing domestic cricket until February 2023 and captained Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, leading the team to the final.
During his international career, Manoj Tiwary played 12 ODIs and 3 T20Is for India between 2008 and 2015. Notably, he scored a century in the ODI format at the highest level.
In an emotional Instagram post, Tiwary expressed his gratitude to the game of cricket for everything it had given him, especially during challenging times in his life. He thanked God for always being by his side throughout his journey.
Manoj Tiwary had a successful career in domestic cricket, representing Bengal, and also played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for various teams. Despite his impressive performances in domestic cricket, he faced sporadic appearances and periods of being overlooked in the international circuit.
Tiwary made his international debut in the 2007-08 Commonwealth Bank Series against Australia. Despite scoring his maiden ODI century against West Indies, he faced inconsistencies in selection, which affected his T20 International career as well.
In his retirement announcement, Tiwary thanked his wife, former teammates, and coach Manabendra Ghosh for their unwavering support throughout his cricketing journey. He paid a special tribute to Manabendra Ghosh, considering him a father figure and the pillar of his cricketing development.
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Despite facing setbacks in international cricket, Manoj Tiwary maintained a successful domestic career with impressive performances in the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He achieved milestones like scoring his fifth double-century in first-class cricket in November 2018 and his maiden triple-century in January 2020.
Apart from his cricketing career, Tiwary ventured into politics and joined the All India Trinamool Congress party in 2021. Later that year, he was elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and currently serves as the Sports Minister of Bengal.
