Ranji trophy should be scrapped from calendar from next season onwards: Manoj Tiwary

Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has sparked controversy as he suggested the scrapping of the Ranji Trophy from the upcoming season. He took to social media and a live Facebook session to voice his concerns regarding the prestigious tournament. Expressing his dissatisfaction, he criticised the subpar dressing room facilities at the St Xavier's College Ground in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, where Bengal clashed against Kerala in an Elite Group B encounter.

Despite not specifying the exact reasons for his call to end the tournament, Tiwary's dissatisfaction raised eyebrows and points towards deeper issues within the domestic cricket setup. Moreover, the Bengal stalwart announced his intention to conclude his Ranji Trophy career at the end of the ongoing season, and indicated a significant decision that could reverberate across the Indian domestic cricket pantheon.

"Ranji trophy should be scrapped from the calendar from the next season onwards. So many things going wrong in the tournament. So many things need to be looked into in order to save this prestigious tournament which has a rich history. It's losing its charm and importance. Absolutely frustrated," Tiwary wrote in post on ‘X’.

"We are playing Kerala in a ground, not a stadium despite there being one built years ago, we are being asked to play in a ground on the outskirts of the State. The dressing rooms are such that you cannot even strategise properly since our dressing room and the opposite dressing room are so close to each other that you can hear what the others are saying. There is no privacy. I hope that this is looked into in the future," he said in the Facebook live session.

Here's Manoj Tiwary's latest post on 'X':

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Manoj Tiwary had reversed retirement ahead of Ranji Trophy 2024

Just five days after declaring his retirement, the veteran Bengal batter had reversed his decision, and aimed to fulfill his childhood aspiration of lifting the Ranji Trophy. The 38-year-old cited overwhelming emotions as the reason for his abrupt reversal, and had expressed a deep desire to pursue one final season. Tiwary's about-face and his recent statement will add an intriguing twist to his cricketing journey.

“It was a proud moment for me to captain Bengal to the final last season. I want to give it one more try before leaving. I’m coming out of retirement for one last year. Bengal cricket has given me everything. I want to give it a last try, be it as a player or captain. I’m an emotional human being and it was an impromptu decision to call it a day that morning (August 3). I had a blank phase in the morning,” Tiwary had said as quoted by The Indian Express.