IPL 2022 Auction: West Bengal sports minister Manoj Tiwary among shortlist, Arjun Tendulkar back in player pool

India cricketer and West Bengal Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Manoj Tiwary is among the 590 shortlisted players for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 auction, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.

Manoj Tiwary represented the Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals), Kolkata Knight Riders, Rising Pune Supergiant and Punjab Kings, playing 98 matches in the IPL. He scored 1695 runs, including 7 fifties and also has a wicket against his name. Tiwary last played for Punjab in IPL 2018.

Tiwary will be up for grabs at a base price of Rs 50 lakh.

IPL 2022 Auction: Full list of players

Meanwhile, Arjun Tendulkar, the son of legendary India batter Sachin, is back in the auction pool. He has listed himself for a base price of Rs 20 lakh. At the IPL 2021 auction, Arjun was picked up Mumbai Indians for his base price but the left-arm fast bowler did not get to play for the 5-time champions.

WILL MANOJ TIWARY FIND BUYERS?

Manoj Tiwary was part of the IPL 2020 auction but the West Bengal cricketer had gone unsold. The India cricketer was sold for Rs 1 crore in the IPL 2018 auction which was also the last time he attracted bids. SunRisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings bid for him with the latter eventually winning the battle for Rs 1 crore.

The 36-year-old former Bengal captain joined TMC ahead of the Assembly polls and won from the Shibpur constituency beating BJP’s Rathin Chakraborty in 2021. He is currently serving as the Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs in the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government.

Earlier this year, Manoj Tiwary was named in the 21-man Bengal squad for Ranji Trophy before the tournament was rescheduled. He was part of Bengal’s Ranji Trophy final against Saurashtra in 2020.

Tiwary returned to competitive action during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 and last played competitive cricket in January last year.

He played 12 ODIs and 3 T20Is for India with his last appearance coming in 2015. Tiwary has played 125 first-class matches and 163 List A matches, scoring over 14000 runs in domestic cricket.