Dubai: The franchise-based world of Indian Premier League (IPL) has, quite often, showed there is no place for city-based loyalties on part of the players. Iconic players such as a Sourav Ganguly or Virender Sehwag have been dumped while crowds have embraced the so-called ‘outsiders’ as their own, showering them with all the adulation.
The IPL VII will be no exception when Manoj Tiwary and Laxmi Ratan Shukla — two of the most trusted Knights till the other day — will be straining every sinew for Delhi Daredevils this season. While the hurt at not being retained by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the last auction is still there, both want to move on and do their best under the guidance of coach Gary Kirsten.
“As a professional, one has to be ready to play for any team and I am looking forward to give my best under two men whom I admire a lot — coach Kirsten and Kevin Pietersen as captain,” Tiwary, a vital cog in KKR’s champion team in 2012, told Gulf News in a telephone interview last week.
It had been a nightmarish last season for Tiwary, who was a member of India’s World T-20 squad in the 2012 edition as well as the national team off and on. A freak knee injury while playing football — a common pastime for the modern day cricketer — put paid to his plans and Tiwary rushed to England for the injury and rehabilitation.
“I have now fully recovered from the knee injury and ready for the season. The Mushtaq Ali Trophy, a T-20 tournment for the state teams, will also offer me a perfect opportunity to spend some time in the middle,” said Tiwary, who like Shukla, have led their state team Bengal for long periods of time.
A dashing middle order batsman who had often played the role of a finisher to a nicety, Tiwary had, however, started his IPL career with the Delhi side before being traded to KKR. Shukla, a handy all-rounder in this format with his seam bowling and powerful hitting lower down the order, had been a KKR man for all previous six seasons of IPL before he was jettisoned this season.
For someone who is often known to wear his heart on his sleeves, Shukla, however, chose to harbour no ill-feelings for his pervious team. “The franchise must have had their reasons in deciding not to retain me. However, I am looking forward to repay the faith the Daredevils management have shown in me,” the former Indian player told Gulf News.
It had been a rather chequered career for the 32-year-old Shukla, who was thrust into limelight when as a callow teenager, he was drafted into the Indian team for the Asian Test Championship in 1999. A section of the media then reckoned he could be the answer to the nation’s long prayers for a successor to Kapil Dev — a level of expectations which the Kolkata youngster found difficult to live with.
Brought down to the realm of domestic cricket soon, Shukla had been a consistent performer for the state and zonal teams, though the doors to the national team never opened again — often quite unfairly. The IPL had, since 2008, opened a window of opportunity to prolong his career and Shukla does not want to miss out on that.
Tiwary, who now has quite a battle on his hands to force his way into the crowded and gifted Indian middle order, does not want to put himself under undue pressure with any such thoughts. “I don’t want to set myself any target, nor is there any point in looking back and wondering on what might have been. Let’s see how this IPL goes for me,” he said.
