When Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lifted their maiden IPL trophy back in 2012, Manoj Tiwary was one of the key pillars of Gautam Gambhir's side, as they swept aside all before them.
Over the years, some prominent names from West Bengal have played for KKR, including the likes of Tiwary, former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, Mohammed Shami, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, and Wriddhiman Saha.
However, in recent years, a select few players from the state have found success in representing the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned franchise, which is why, Bengal’s Minister of State for Affairs of Sports and Youth, Manoj Tiwary, wants CM Mamta Banerjee to have a chat with SRK, so that local talent from the state can get their due representation.
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In IPL 2022, KKR endured yet another underwhelming campaign as they finished in the bottom half of the table, despite being the third-most successful side in the illustrious history of the cash-rich league.
Tiwary meanwhile has hit out at KKR management for their methods, as he feels local talent from the state deserves more recognition.
"Certainly I would like to see a change. I always say that there should be a lot of players (from Bengal in KKR). So my only question is that if Bengal players can play for those other teams regularly in the playing eleven, why can’t they play here," he told Sports Tak.
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Tiwary continued, "So that question mark is always there on the management. They never talk openly also. They stay silent, and this question mark always remains on them."
The Ranji Trophy stalwart added that having local talent in KKR would inspire more kids in West Bengal to take up the sport and he's willing to have a conversation with CM Mamata Banerjee and Shah Rukh Khan to ensure the same.
"Local players inspire kids in the stadium. Fans would want to support their local players. They will always support their team but when they see that there is a local player in the squad, they will take that emotion with them. I will ask our honorable chief minister Mamata Banerjee to speak with Shahrukh Khan. He is West Bengal’s brand ambassador. We’ll see what happens after that," stated Tiwary.
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