"If he had really backed his players, then he would have definitely backed me" - Former KKR batter launches scathing attack on MS Dhoni

Cricket - ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 - Semi Final - Australia vs. India - Source: Getty
MS Dhoni enjoyed tremendous success as the Indian captain in the white-ball formats [Credit: Getty]

Former Team India batter Manoj Tiwary dismissed the notion about MS Dhoni backing players as the captain during his career. The now-39-year-old played only 12 ODIs in his international career spanning eight years from 2008 to 2015.

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After scoring two on his ODI debut in 2008, Tiwary did not play for India until 2011. However, after four low scores, the right-hander scored his maiden century against the West Indies at the end of the 2011 season.

He scored 21 and 65 in his next two innings in 2012, yet found himself dropped from the side until the middle of 2014. After a lone outing against Bangladesh, Tiwary was once again out of the XI for the next year before playing his final three ODIs in Zimbabwe in 2015.

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Unfortunately for him, an average of under 12 in the three games meant he was dropped from the Indian squad for good.

Talking about Dhoni's reputation as someone who backs his players, Tiwary told Crictracker:

"No, I don't think so. See, reputation, perception is something that people go by. But I'm the one, and there are a few others as well in the team who have gone through the period of his tenure as well. So there are a lot of players who have a different version of how he used to back his players. If he had really backed his players, then he would have definitely backed me because I performed in that particular match and over a period of time."
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He continued:

"I think there were a couple of individuals whom he really liked and gave full backing at that point in time. A lot of people know, but not everyone comes forward and speaks about it. So there is a very strong liking and disliking that happens in cricket everywhere. So I consider myself not liking one. He did not like me, maybe."
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Apart from the 12 ODIs, Tiwary also played 3 T20Is for India, scoring only 15 runs in his lone innings.

"At that time, the only decision-maker was MS Dhoni" - Manoj Tiwary

Manoj Tiwary said several senior players backed him in the 2011-12 period, but the final decisions on selections remained with MS Dhoni. The 39-year-old mentioned Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, and Yuvraj Singh as those who constantly backed him.

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"I've got backing from Virender Sehwag. I've always said that Viru paji is one of the individuals who has really backed me. nd Sachin [Tendulkar] Paji as well, Yuvraj Singh as well, Harbhajan Singh as well. A lot of seniors have back me during that time, but they have limited control over the decision-making. At that time, the only decision-maker was MS Dhoni," said Tiwary (via the aforementioned source).
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He added:

"And also the foreign coaches who come up, they just go with the captain because nobody wants to go to war with the Indian captain because their jobs are on the line. So apart from him, I think everyone has backed me, supported me. So I won't say that seniors have not backed me, just that the decision maker who was MS Dhoni, I didn't get the backing, which I was hoping to get."

Tiwary's inconsistent selections meant he finished with a less-than-impressive average of 26.09 and a strike rate of 71.21 in ODIs.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
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