MANOJ Tiwary, a pillar of Bengal cricket and with over 10,000 First-class runs under his belt, retired last week after a two-decade long career. A week before he hung up his boots, Tiwary posted on X that there were ‘so many things wrong’ in Ranji Trophy cricket, the country’s premier domestic tournament. “It is losing its charm and importance. Absolutely frustrated.” Tiwary, a Trinamool Congress politician and the Bengal sports minister, spoke to The Indian Express about why he ranted; from hungover umpires to cramped dressing rooms, to IPL-contracted players not ready to grind it out in domestic red-ball cricket, the reasons are many he says. Excerpts. You had recently posted on X that Ranji Trophy should be ‘scrapped off from the calendar’ Why? I gave this assessment based on what I witnessed while playing in the tournament. The significance and charm of Ranji Trophy has diminished because the IPL auction happens before the tournament starts. Once a player gets an IPL contract, they don’t have the drive to play Ranji Trophy. There is also …