Manoj Tiwary

Calcutta: Bengal batsman Manoj Tiwary’s mother, Bina, is very happy with her son turning out to be one of the most expensive cricketers by attracting a bid of Rs 2.7crore in the Indian Premier League players’ auction on Wednesday.

But she believes that bagging such a fortune will not distract Manoj from the game.

“I am very happy. This is the gift of the Almighty. I never dreamt that Manoj will earn this much one day,” she told The Telegraph on Wednesday evening. “But I know that this will not change him as a person.

“I will, however, be happier if he scores more runs and plays more matches for the country. I pray that he gets a couple of matches more in Australia,” she added.

Tiwary, currently in Australia as a part of the ODI squad, was included in the Delhi team — the Delhi Daredevils — along with Gautam Gambhir, Mohammed Asif.

There was a push by the franchisees to have young players on their rolls and one of those to have gained from this was Tiwary.

Tiwary’s coach Manabendra Ghosh also feels the same. “I know him since his childhood. He loves the game more than anything else. Whatever he has earn today is nothing but a result of his hard work,” Ghosh said.