Want to ask him why I was dropped: Manoj Tiwary questions MS Dhoni on Team India snub

Manoj Tiwary recently announced his retirement fromcricket. Being a big name for theBengal state team, Tiwary also represented India in 12 ODIs and three T20Is. He announced his retirement from all forms of cricketin August 2023. However, he reversed his decision to play for Bengal in the 2023/24 Ranji Trophy season. Now, he has stepped aside completely and revealed his biggest regret of not representing India in Tests.

Tiwary never found himselfas amore permanent memberofTeam India. Debuting in 2008, the right-hander played his last ODI for India in 2015 and his finalT20Is in 2012 but never wore the Test cap. Despite having scored a century in ODIs in late 2011, hewas mysteriously benched for months. Now, Tiwary has questioned the then-Indian captain MS Dhoni for dropping him.

'When self-confidence is at its peak and someone destroys that, then that player is finished'

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Talking to News18, Tiwary said, "When I had completed playing 65 first-class matches, my batting average was around 65. The Australia team had toured India then, and I had scored 130 in Chennai in a friendly game, then I scored 93 against England in a friendly game. I was very close, but they picked Yuvraj Singh instead. So Test cap and the fact that I was ignored after getting the Man of the Match award for scoring a hundred...I was ignored for 14 straight matches. When self-confidence is at its peak and someone destroys that, then that player is finished. Confidence is everything for a player, in any profession."

On being asked who killed that confidence, Tiwary firmly said,"I know the name but I don't want to take it. I am a grown man now. When a player is omitted, it's the decision of the team management."

'I would ask why I was dropped whenneither Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma or Suresh Rainawere scoring runs'

When the reporter revealed that Dhoni was the captain when he was dropped, Tiwary was quick to point out, "Yes, MS Dhoni was the captain. If I get the opportunity to ask the question, I will ask him why I was dropped from the team after scoring the century, especially in that tour of Australia where nobody was scoring runs, neither Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma or Suresh Raina. I have nothing to lose now."

Tiwary and Dhoni have been teammates even in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when the duo represented the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS). While the right-hander never made it big in the senior team, he has been a force to reckon with in first-class cricket; scoring10,195 runs with 30 centuries at47.86. He represented Bengal for over two decades which included several memorable performances with the bat.