It is difficult to make a comeback as our country is brimming with talent: Manoj Tiwary

Injuries do take a toll on a player’s career, and so did it to Bengal’s skipper Manoj Tiwary. The Bengal skipper believes that the injuries have given him the confidence and made him more mature than ever. Tiwary’s bad luck did take a toll on his national career, his untimely wait on the bench almost pushed him to obscurity.

Although the right-hander has been troubled in the past, strong performance in the domestic circuit followed by a strong showing in the Indian Premier League has definitely boosted Tiwary’s confidence. Since making it to the National team, Tiwary has played just 12 ODI’s and 3 T20’s following which he got injured.

Injuries halting the progress: 

“Injuries have been a major part of my career. In 2008, when I got picked for the Bangladesh tour, I got injured a day before the game. It was a shock for me and affected me both physically and mentally. I was young and had no control over my emotions and cried a lot. Later, I injured my shoulder after a dive and missed the series against Pakistan,” Tiwary told Hindustan Times.

The 31-year-old, who played an important role for RPS in the IPL, says injuries alone can’t be blamed. “When I wasn’t injured, I did not get enough chances. So when people don’t see me play, they say he might be injured. At times I would think I deserve a chance this season but I was not picked,” he said.

Domestic brilliance:

One thing that never changed was his consistency in the domestic circuit. For years and years, Tiwary has been the workhorse for the domestic team. His runs and knock have always been crucial for Bengal, and in recent times it has not changed.

Under his tutelage and the brilliant form, East Zone won the Deodhar Trophy while his state team Bengal played the Vijay Hazare Trophy final loss against Vijay Shankar’s Tamil Nadu. On a comeback trail, he knew cashing in on every opportunity could help his case.

“It is difficult to make a comeback as our country is brimming with talent. So when somebody gets injured, a lot of performers stake claim. Competition is very tough. You have to keep performing, wait for a player to fail and hope the selectors look your way,” Tiwary said.

The right-hander last played for India in the year 2014, sitting out for 14 games straight after his maiden hundred for the country.

“It has been mentally very tough and tiring. I spent eight months in shoulder rehab, one year in knee rehab. Anybody who comes back from rehab returns a mentally strong player. There are a set of three-four exercises which you have to repeat every day. That is very boring and if you are not mentally strong, it becomes difficult. It takes a lot of mental strength to keep doing them,” Tiwary added.

Injuries have made Tiwary philosophical too. “I have been unlucky in terms of selection, not getting games, but I have been lucky enough to reach where I am. Whenever I get injured, I think about the handicapped people, the problems they face. I compare myself with them and think that I am a lot better off,” he said.

The Bengal batsman believes that his consistent performance would catch the eyes of the selectors some time or the other, and would be called up to represent the country with India ‘A’ to start with.