‘Ranji trophy should be scrapped……’ – Manoj Tiwary makes audacious claim on India’s premier domestic tournament

Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary requested on social media on Saturday that the Ranji Trophy, which is the nation’s main local tournament running since 1934, should be scrapped. Notably, Manoj Tiwary has abstained from giving a reason for his social media post on platform ‘X,’ although he clarified that several things have been “going wrong” with the tournament.

Meanwhile, Ranji Trophy veteran Manoj Tiwary has played 146 matches in first-class cricket and accumulated over 10,000 runs since making his Bengal debut in 2004. Notably, Bengal has qualified for two finals in the last three seasons under Tiwary’s 19-year Ranji Trophy tenure, although they haven’t won a title since their historic run in the 1989–1990 season.

“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 to save this prestigious tournament which has a rich history. It’s losing its charm and importance. Absolutely frustrated,” Manoj Tiwary wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Check here the tweet:

Ranji trophy should be scrapped off from the calendar from the next season onwards. So many things going wrong in the tournament. So many things need to looked into in order to save this prestigious tournament which has a rich history. It’s losing its charm and importance.…

— MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj) February 10, 2024

I cannot elaborate further as I am a player and the captain of a State: Manoj Tiwary

However, the cricketer-turned-politician revealed that there is a lack of infrastructure for them in the stadium and there is no privacy for the players. The 38-year-old cricketer says that he can’t reveal much about being the player of the state.

He further added, “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. Cannot elaborate further as I am a player and the captain of a State. I cannot say anything publicly during the match.”