Indian batsman Manoj Tiwary celebrates his 34th birthday on Thursday. Born on November 14, 1985, Tiwary is a right-handed batsman who plays for West Bengal in the domestic circuit. The cricketer has a solid batting technique and is a well-known name in the domestic circuit. He is one of those players who have proved their mettle in all three formats of the game. Tiwary has also has represented India at the highest level and even has played some brilliant innings. In the Indian Premier League, the batsman has played for many teams like Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KXIP). Abhimanyu Easwaran Replaces Manoj Tiwary As Captain of Bengal in All Formats.
The right-handed batsman has played a massive role in West Bengal's success over the years and his numbers speak for himself. In 114 First-Class matches, the veteran has aggregated 8259 at an average of over 50. In List-A encounters, the batsman has 5466 runs in 163 outings. Tiwary, who made his ODI debut in 2008, was all set to put the international stage on fire. However, few injuries and rise of players like Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli became the reason for his downfall. Nevertheless, he continued to show his potential in domestic matches and in IPL as well. And, we will be looking at his five best knocks.
104* Against West Indies in Chennai
Cramps failed to dominate Tiwary's determination in the 5th ODI of West Indies' 2011 Tour of India as the batsman went on to score a brilliant hundred. Playing his first game of the series, Tiwary came into bat at number four when the hosts lost Ajinkya Rahane and Parthiv Patel in the opening over of the first innings. Despite the unfavorable circumstances, the batsman displayed his potential and played a brilliant knock. He gained cramps in the middle of his knock but that didn't restrict him as he went on to plunder his maiden ODI ton. He got retired hurt after reaching his hundred but gave India the upper hand as they posted 267 runs in the first innings and later won the match by 34 runs.
65 Against Sri Lanka in Pallekele
The fifth ODI of India's 2012 Tour of Sri Lanka was another occasion when Tiwary came to India's rescue. The right-handed batsman came into bat after the likes of Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane were dismissed cheaply. However, he joined forces with Gautam Gambhir and built a steady partnership with him. Tiwary played cautiously in the early part of his knock but attacked the opposition in the latter part and mustered a brilliant fifty. His knock helped India post 294 in the first innings and later clinch by clash by 20 runs.
75 Against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali
Tiwary played a gem of an innings in IPL 2010 and guided KKR over the line. The dasher smashed the likes of Brett Lee and Irfan Pathan to all the parts of the ground and notched up a brilliant half-century. With the help of eight boundaries and two maximums, the batsman scored 75 runs which is his highest IPL score to date. His effort powered KKR to 183 in the first innings which proved to be enough as the Punjab side could only manage 144 in the second innings and lost the match by 39 runs.
60 Against Delhi Daredevils in Delhi
The batsman enjoyed a phenomenal run in IPL 2017 and also played a crucial role in guiding Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) to the finals. One of his many terrific knocks that season came against Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). Chasing a total of 169 runs, Tiwary came into bat after both the openers were dismissed early. He took the mettle of run-scoring upon himself and smashed a brilliant half-century. However, he didn't receive much support from the other hand as RPS fell seven runs short of the target.
201* Against Madhya Pradesh in Kolkata
The Bengal star played a scintillating knock against Madhya Pradesh (MP) in Ranji Trophy 2018-19. Playing on his home ground, Tiwary came into bat at number four and looked at his premium best. He assessed the conditions well at first and then launched the attack in the latter part of his knock. During the course of his innings, the right-handed batsman scored 20 boundaries and four massive sixes and brought up a fantastic double century. His unbeaten knock guided the hosts to 510 in the first innings. In reply, MP were bundled out for 335 in the first innings and their innings defeated looked set. However, rain affected the match and the result was a draw.
These knocks speak volumes of Tiwary's ability with the willow and with being just 34, a lot of cricket is still left in the player. The charismatic batsman is currently participating in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019 where he'll look to play some fantastic knocks again and guide Bengal to the title.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 14, 2019 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).