Exclusive: 'Bengal players need to make an impact in the IPL to gain recognition' - Manoj Tiwary hints at media bias

Indian cricketer and politician Manoj Tiwary recently came forward and stated his opinion on the current crop of players coming out from Bengal. When asked about the likes of Sourav Ganguly and himself coming out from Bengal and Wriddhiman Saha and Abhimanyu Easwaran being the more recent players, Tiwary was asked why Bengal has been unable to give out big names in recent times. 

Answering the question, Tiwary disagreed that Bengal Cricket’s involvement in Indian cricket has deteriorated. He gave the example of Mukesh Kumar, who has broken through the ranks in team India. 

“No, that's not true. A lot of talented cricketers are emerging from Bengal. For instance, Mukesh Kumar has already made his debut for the Indian team in Tests, One-Day Internationals, and T20Is. He has been playing for Delhi Capitals for the last 2-3 years. We also have Akash Deep, a fast bowler who, along with Mohammed Shami, is representing India from West Bengal,” Tiwary told CricTracker exclusively on the sidelines of ongoing LLC 2024.

“Additionally, there's Shahbaz Ahmed, who was with Sunrisers Hyderabad. Sudip Gharami is another player who has been making a lot of runs in First-Class cricket, and how can we forget Abhishek Porel? He's a promising talent and currently with Delhi Capitals,” he added.

We have a strong talent pool: Tiwary

Furthermore, Tiwary talked about how Bengal’s cricketers do not get as much coverage from the media as other players. He also opined that to gain recognition across India, the players from Bengal have to put in their best performances in the IPL.

Also Read: Exclusive: Why Dhawal Kulkarni chose to retire from IPL - Reason behind his IPL retirement

“We have a strong talent pool, but unfortunately, Bengal cricket doesn’t get as much national media coverage, which is why many people aren’t aware of these players. However, to gain recognition, these players will need to make an impact in the IPL, just like players from other regions. I believe it’s only a matter of time before Bengal cricketers start getting regular attention in national news,” Tiwary said.