Manoj Tiwary West Bengal Sports Minister: Is Manoj Tiwary playing IPL 2022?

Is Manoj Tiwary playing IPL 2022: The veteran Indian batter hasn’t played competitive cricket for over a year now.

Veteran India batter Manoj Tiwary is among the 570 shortlisted cricketers for Indian Premier League 2022 mega auction. Tiwary is in the category of capped batters with a base price of INR 50 lakh.

Tiwary’s presence in the auction presents a rare occasion of a sitting MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) of a state looking to make a comeback to competitive cricket. Tiwary, who hasn’t played competitive cricket for over a year now, will also take part in Ranji Trophy 2021-22 for Bengal later this month.

Readers must note that Tiwary had joined All India Trinamool Congress Party a year ago. Tiwary, who contested 2021 Bengal Vidhan Sabha elections from Shibpur, had defeated Bhartiya Janta Party’s Rathin Chakrabarty by 32,603 votes. Subsequently, Tiwary was included into the Bengal Cabinet as Minister of State for Affairs of Sports and Youth replacing former India all-rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla.

Is Manoj Tiwary playing IPL 2022?

If Tiwary manages to entice a bidder in the upcoming auction, he will return to the biggest T20 tournament after four years. In his 10-season IPL career for Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals), Kolkata Knight Riders, Rising Pune Supergiants and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Tiwary has scored 1,695 runs in 85 innings at an average and strike rate of 28.73 and 116.98 respectively.

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Tiwary’s career-best 75* (47) comprising of eight fours and two sixes had come in a winning cause for Knight Riders during an IPL 2010 league match against Kings XI in Mohali.

Having made his ODI debut against Australia in 2008, Tiwary played 12 ODIs and three T20Is for India. While he last played a T20I in 2012, his last ODI came during the Zimbabwe tour in 2015.