In 2023, Tripura cricket has been in the news for almost exclusively wrong reasons. But one person, or shall we say cricketer, has managed to almost single-handedly overshadow the negativity around cricket in his state thanks to his talents. Meet all-rounder Manisankar Murasingh, the state’s star all-rounder.
Murasingh’s talents have not gone unnoticed. Even Tripura Tourism Brand Ambassador and former skipper of the Indian National Cricket team Sourav Ganguly, during his recent visit to the state, stated that he had been following the cricket of Murasingh. Ganguly pointed out that under the guidance of captain Wriddhiman Saha, Tripura has performed extremely well in first-class cricket. His performance drew the attention of the selectors of the famous county tournament conducted in the UK.
In this year’s IPL auction as well, Murasingh and Rajat Dey from Tripura are shortlisted. Speaking Exclusively to EastMojo on his cricketing journey, Murasingh said, “Like all, the main aim is to wear the jersey of the Indian cricket team one day. All these years, I have worked really hard to fulfil this dream and I am optimistic about it being a reality someday.”
The Tripura Left-handed batsman has also high hopes of getting picked in the next IPL season. “I could not attend the trials of the Delhi capital because that time I had to rush to the UK. But I have appeared in the trials for Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals. Both the trials went according to my expectations. Let’s see whether the selectors pick me up or not,” he told EastMojo.
When asked about Sourav Ganguly’s remarks, he replied: “This is a big achievement for any cricketer. When a great cricketer like Sourav Ganguly praises your performance, it acts like a moral boost. I think his appreciation has only encouraged me to work harder in the field and deliver more for my team.”
To a query regarding Tripura Cricket’s future with the present team strength, Murasingh said, “The present team set up under the leadership of Wriddhi Da (Wriddhiman Saha) is really good. After he joined Tripura Cricket Association as a skipper, the team’s overall performance improved. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, we defeated champion sides like Saurashtra and Mumbai. We could not qualify as we lost two crucial matches in a close fight and the match with Orissa couldn’t be completed. Barring T20 matches, our team played well in all first-class tournaments in the last three years and so far I can see as long as Wriddhiman Saha is associated with Tripura as a mentor, our performance shall always move towards the better side.”
However, the 31-year-old cricketer had expressed his dismay over the poor bench strength. “The present team is capable and it has proven its mettle in the tournaments as well but if you observe the Under-16 and Under-19 teams of Tripura, their performance is very poor in the first-class tournaments. If talented players are not nurtured by the state Cricket Association from the younger levels, we can’t expect good players to come up all of a sudden in the senior team. If a proper talent hunt is done and good players are given the opportunity to play on the hard wickets they will emerge as good batters and bowlers. Unfortunately, we are not focusing on that for unknown reasons”, he explained.
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He also said the absence of a good cricket stadium is also a big problem faced by the players. “Due to comparatively longer monsoons, we naturally don’t have the privilege to practice more than the players of other parts of the country. Moreover, we could not set up a good cricket academy like other states. The delay in the completion of the construction works in the international stadium is far from over. At this juncture, we are left with only two to three cricket stadiums across the state which is also not up to the mark. The Cricket Association should take care of all these issues faced by the players. We just want good pitches, good coaches, and good logistics to play cricket nothing else,” he added.
When asked what he would suggest to the youngsters who are looking at cricket as a career option, he said, “Well, I would say all the aspiring cricketers should learn from good mentors and coaches who are well-versed in technique. From my own experience, I can say that the raw talent and the technique that you apply for your game certainly pay off at the end of the day.”
Also Read: Doctored pitch: How politics, favouritism ruined cricket in Tripura