Shocking Claims Against MS Dhoni: Former India Star Blames Captain for Dropped from Team despite Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's Lack of Scoring

New Delhi: Securing a spot in the Indian cricket team is undoubtedly a daunting task, but the real challenge lies in retaining it. In a country where cricket reigns supreme, the competition amongst players is fierce, making it easy for talented individuals to get lost in the shuffle. Manoj Tiwary knows this struggle all too well. Despite showcasing his exceptional talent with an impressive average of 99.50 in the 2006-07 Ranji Trophy, Tiwary had to bide his time for his international debut due to injury setbacks. Finally making his debut in 2008, Tiwary's journey in the Indian cricket team wasn't without its hurdles. While he managed to score his maiden ODI century against West Indies in Chennai in 2011, a string of unfortunate events saw him sidelined for months post that match. Under the leadership of MS Dhoni, Tiwary faced challenges in cementing his place in the side, constantly having to prove his worth amongst a pool of talented players vying for the same position.

“He was the captain. Team India runs according to the planning of the skipper. In state teams, things are different but in Team India its all about the captain. If you see, during Kapil Dev’s time it was he who ran the show, during Sunil Gavaskar’s tenure it was his call, same was during Mohammad Azharuddin’s tenure. After that Dada and so on. This will go on unless a strict administrator comes and makes a set rule,” Manoj Tiwary told Lallantop.

“You see Ajit Agarkar (current BCCI chief selector) and you feel he can take strong decisions. He can disagree with the coach. As far as me being dropped for 14 matches after scoring a century, if a player is dropped after scoring a century, obviously I want to know the answer. After century I was praised, but post that I did not have any inkling. At that time, youngsters used to feel afraid, including me. If you ask something, who knows what way it could have been taken. Career is on the line.

“The players who were in the team then were Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma. After that the Tour which took place, they were not making runs. And here I was, even after making a century and winning Player of the Match, could not find a place in playing XI. I was dropped for 14 matches, which took place in a space of six months. At that time the dropped player did not get enough practice. I wanted to retire but due to family responsibility could not.”

Manoj Tiwary captained Bengal for an extended period and also served as the Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports.