Reports: Manoj Tiwary to come out of retirement to play for Bengal

Former India batter Manoj Tiwary is reportedly set to withdraw his retirement call and return to first-class cricket for Bengal with immediate effect. Notably, the right-handed batter called time on his career through his social media account on August 3.

According to several media reports, following a meeting with Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Snehasish Ganguly, the 37-year-old batter changed his mind about retiring and is set to make a formal announcement at a press conference on Tuesday, August 8.

The departure of a seasoned cricketer has left a significant void in the Bengal team's middle order. For the uninitiated, Bengal reached the final in the Ranji Trophy last year under Tiwary's leadership, and his return will be a major relief for the team. However, Bengal were outplayed by Saurashtra in the summit clash contested at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Tiwary on the brink of reaching 10,000 first-class runs

Manoj Tiwary, who made his first-class debut in December 2004, has amassed 9908 runs with 29 centuries and 45 fifties at an average of 48.56 in 141 games. As a result, the 37-year-old is only 92 runs away from reaching the 10000-run mark. The aggressive Bengal batter had stunned everyone with his 796 runs at an average of 99.50 in the 2006-07 Ranji Trophy. Notably, his performance in that season smashed Bengal’s records and forced his way into India’s squad for the Bangladesh tour. 

Meanwhile, in List A cricket, he scored 5581 runs from 169 matches at an average of 42.28. He has appeared in 12 ODI games for India and has amassed 287 runs at an average of 26.09. The 37-year-old scored an unbeaten one-day hundred (104*) against the West Indies in Chennai, which remained his highest score in the format. In particular, he does not hold impressive statistics in the T20I format, having played only three games. Furthermore, the Bengal-born cricketer has not worn the blue jersey since 2015.