Veteran Bengal batter and the state’s sports minister Manoj Tiwary slammed another sublime century in the ongoing Ranji Trophy semifinal to continue his purple patch with the bat. Tiwary slammed 102 runs off 211 to lead Bengal’s fightback against Madhya Pradesh in the semifinal. Apart from him young all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed also scored crucial 116 runs.
Tiwary celebrated his century by showing a handwritten note for his wife and family who stood by him through thick and thin.
Manoj Tiwary celebration when he was completed his Hundred in the Ranji trophy semifinal – A special note for his family – Beautiful. pic.twitter.com/8SY22amUn5
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) June 16, 2022
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The 35-year-old’s 211-ball marathon knock was laced with 12 fours. At 54 for five, Shahbaz and Tiwary joined hands and both hit some crisp drives as they ended the day with nine boundaries each.
If Shahbaz’s pull off Gaurav Yadav was his best shot, Tiwary’s reverse sweep off Kartikeya and Saransh were a treat for the eyes.
The duo shared a 183-run stand for the sixth wicket before Tiwary was dismissed by Saransh Jain.
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Earlier, Tiwary also slammed a century in the quarterfinals against Jharkhand. He scored 136 in the second innings was the highlight of an inconsequential fifth day’s play as Bengal advanced to the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy on the basis of their massive first-innings lead. The 36-year-old veteran also scored 73 in Bengal’s first essay.
After the match, Tiwary talked about how motivated he is to help his team win the Ranji Trophy as it is his only regret of not getting his hands on the coveted trophy despite playing three finals for Bengal.
“I always given 100 percent for my Bengal. The only thing I regret is not winning Ranji Trophy for my team as I had played three finals for Bengal. This time I have motivated myself with the same hunger and made necessary adjustments and sacrifices to reach the goal,” Manoj Tiwari said.
Tiwary further said that it was not easy for him to strike a balance while managing both roles as a minister and as a cricketer.
“Life’s never easy, it will have problems and you’ll have to fight through it. There’s planning as it’s not easy when you are balancing two roles. This was one of the times when I needed to prove to myself,” he added.
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