Manoj Tiwary announces retirement from all forms of cricket
Kolkata (PTI): Former India batsman Manoj Tiwary on Thursday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, drawing curtains to a very unique career.
Tiwary, who played 12 ODIs and three T20Is between 2008 and 2015, ventured into politics even while he remained an active cricketer, and became a minister of state for sports and youth affairs in West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's state cabinet.
But during the 2022-23 domestic season, the 37-year-old returned to play for Bengal and guided the team to the final where they went down to Saurashtra at the Eden Gardens. It was also Tiwary's last First-Class game.
"Goodbye to the game of cricket," Tiwary wrote in an Instagram post while announcing his retirement.
"This game has given me everything, I mean every single thing which I had never dreamt of, starting from the times when my life was challenged by different forms of difficulties.
"I will always be grateful to this game and to the GOD, who has always been by my side throughout," said Tiwary.
The right-handed batsman made 287 runs from 12 one-dayers that includes a hundred against West Indies at Chennai in December 2011.
Tiwary finished his First-Class career just 92 runs shy of the 10,000-landmark (9908 runs) and averaged 48.56 with 29 centuries in a glittering 19-year career. He made his debut under Deep Dasgupta in 2004 against Delhi at the Eden Gardens.
He scored 5581 runs from 169 List A games at an average of 42.28.
An aggressive middle-order batter, Tiwary faced selection blues with the India think tank under MS Dhoni preferring a left-hander in Suresh Raina, who was also his protege in Chennai Super Kings.
As fate had it in store for him, Tiwary was dropped for 14 ODIs after scoring the century against the Windies.
Tiwary made 65 runs and took four wickets in two matches when he made his return but he was dropped again. Injuries also took a toll on his career.
He was also a member of the Kolkata Knight Riders' maiden IPL triumph in 2012 and struck the winning runs in the last over to seal a 191-run chase against the CSK.
Tiwary also represented Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab and Rising Pune Supergiants in the IPL. Overall, he has played 183 T20s, scoring 3436 runs at a strike rate of 116.43.
Tiwary also thanked his childhood coach Manabendra Ghosh, his former teammates and his family.
"Manabendra Ghosh, my father figure like coach, has been the pillar in the cricketing journey. If he had not been there then I would have not reached anywhere in the cricketing circle. Thank you Sir and wish you a speedy recovery, as your health is not keeping well.
"Thank you to my Dad and Mom, they both never put pressure on me to focus on my studies rather they encouraged me to continue in cricket. Big thank you to my wife, @roy_susmita7 who has always been on my side from the time she came into my life," he wrote.
Tiwary first gave up captaincy in 2018 but played for Bengal despite battling with injuries. He made a foray into politics when he joined the ruling Trinamool Congress in 2021 ahead of the Assembly polls in Bengal.
He was then handed a ticket from Shibpur constituency from where he won and went on to succeed his former Bengal captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla as the MoS sports.
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2 men dragged for 300 metres by truck in Agra; locals save their lives
Agra, Dec 23: A truck driver dragged two people for about 300 metres in Agra under his vehicle, police on Monday said.
Some locals forced the driver to stop the truck and extricated the men from under the vehicle.
Police arrested the driver and seized the truck.
The two men, both residents of Nunhai in Agra, were going towards Rambagh from Waterworks when they met with an accident around 11 pm Sunday.
The driver, instead of stopping the truck sped up, trapping both of them underneath, police said.
"In the accident, two youths were dragged by a canter driver for about 300 metres. Later, some residents saved the youths by stopping the driver using force," Chhatta Police Station Inspector Pramod Kumar told PTI.
"The youths were sent for treatment at a nearby hospital and are still being treated, but are in stable condition. The youths were from Agra. The canter driver was arrested and the canter seized after the incident," he said.
A video of the incident that surfaced on social media showed the men shouting for help.
The video was purported to have been shot by a person passing by on a two-wheeler.
“पिछली पोस्ट में वीडियो में युवकों को मोटर साइकल सहित ट्रक वाला कई मीटर तक घसीटता हुआ ले जाता गया देखा था,
— Umashankar Singh उमाशंकर सिंह (@umashankarsingh) December 23, 2024
अब जनता द्वारा उस ट्रक ड्राइवर की ठुकाई पिटाई का समारोह देखिए।”#Agra@madanjournalist
pic.twitter.com/Qh5ncyWtEa
HORRIFYING!
— Sanjay Kishore (@saintkishore) December 23, 2024
In Agra, a truck driver dragged two men for 300 meters. Locals intervened, stopping the truck and saving the men. Both are stable but continue receiving treatment. The driver has been arrested and the truck seized.
pic.twitter.com/1ply5wemfX
