Manoj Tiwary wins hearts with adorable gesture for family; Bengal player shows handwritten note after scoring 100

The 36-year-old Indian, who is also the Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports in West Bengal, scored 102 off 211 for Bengal in the semi-final match against Madhya Pradesh on Day 3 at the KSCA Cricket Ground, Alur.

Manoj Tiwary continued his stellar form with the willow as the Indian batter hit his second successive hundred on Thursday. The 36-year-old, who is also the Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports in West Bengal, scored 102 off 211 for Bengal in the semi-final match against Madhya Pradesh on the third day at the KSCA Cricket Ground, Alur.

Manoj Tiwary after reaching 100 against Madhya Pradesh (Twitter)

Tiwary reached the triple-digit score with a single in the mid-wicket region during the first session on Day 3. He raised his bat in delight and acknowledged the applause from the dressing room. But there was more to the celebration. The veteran player also held out a handwritten note with a heartwarming message for his wife and children.

Notably, Tiwary had also scored 136 in the previous game against Jharkhand. His century headlined an inconsequential day five as Bengal advanced to the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy on the basis of their massive first-innings lead. Tiwary was the first one to score a Ranji hundred while being a sitting minister in a state government. He had also hit 73 in Bengal's first essay.

Talking about the semi-final versus Madhya Pradesh, the former Bengal captain eventually perished on 102 when he edged a tossed-up delivery from Saransh Jain to fielder Rajat Patidar in the slip cordon. Bengal were 54 for five at one point but put up 273, thanks to Tiwary's innings and Shahbaz Ahmed's 116. The pair added 183 runs for the sixth wicket to bail the team out of a precarious situation.

For Madhya Pradesh, Kumar Kartikeya, Saransh Jain and Puneet Datey took three wickets apiece, while Gaurav Yadav added one to his name.

Earlier, wicketkeeper-batter Himanshu Mantri steered Madhya Pradesh to 341 as he scored 165. The 28-year-old left-handed opener frustrated the opposition bowlers after his team was tottering at 97 for four. Mantri teamed up with Akshat Raghuwanshi, who hit 63. The duo forged a crucial 123-run stand for the fifth wicket on a batting-friendly surface.