Manoj Tiwary Welcomes BCCI's Emphasis on Domestic Cricket, Criticizes IPL-Centric Mindset Among Players

Manoj Tiwary, a former international, has applauded the BCCI's order for players to give priority to domestic cricket, cautioning that not playing would have "severe implications".

Just one day after he announced his retirement, Tiwary was furious at the mindset of several modern cricket players.


During a media briefing at the Calcutta Sports Journalists' Club on Monday, Tiwary stated, "The seriousness the BCCI has shown by taking this step in the crucial stage of the Ranji Trophy indicates their concern that many players — especially high-profile ones who have succeeded in the IPL with limited first-class cricket — are not giving enough importance to the Ranji Trophy."

The BCCI's most recent action follows a number of players, like as Deepak Chahar and Ishan Kishan, persistently refusing to participate in the Ranji Trophy while they were getting ready for the Indian Premier League with their respective teams.

Playing in 12 ODIs and three T20Is, 38-year-old Tiwary recently said on X that the Ranji Trophy should be "scrapped," without going into any detail.

"I've seen that young players now have an IPL-centric worldview. People who don't play Ranji often go to Dubai or other locations in their spare time. Still, this pattern is lessening the importance of the esteemed Ranji Trophy. Any viewpoint expression might now result in a ban. For only one post, I have already seen a 20% decrease in my match charge.

"I could have raised my voice sooner, but it seems that politicians now control the BCCI instead of athletes. In addition to being a sportsman, I belong to a political party. I'd rather not get into a fight. The Ranji Trophy should be given priority since it is gradually becoming less significant, said Tiwary, a state minister in the Mamata Banerjee administration.

"While the IPL provides a great platform for all of us, I also want the president and secretary of the BCCI to elevate the Ranji Trophy in importance. This competition has produced a large number of players. It is depressing that we are unable to win ICC prizes, like as the World Test Championship or World Cup, even as we enjoy winning series."

He also had criticism for the cricketers' strategy.

"The modern cricket players take a 'Bazball' tack, swinging the bat hard from the first delivery. This strategy bothers me personally since it just considers winning or losing....

"This is a circumstance that has arisen; I will not place responsibility on the players. It seems that the spirit of the IPL has been gone."

Tiwary made fun of Mahendra Singh Dhoni as well. "I'd want to know why, in 2011, after hitting a century, Dhoni removed me from the starting lineup? Like Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, I might have been a hero."

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