Where is Manpreet Gony now? CSK's IPL 2008 star forgotten after debut under MS Dhoni

Over the years, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has produced a plethora of young talent. While some players have taken the opportunities with both hands, others haven't quite managed to capitalize on the chances. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Yuzvendra Chahal owe a large part of their national team selection to the cash-rich league. On the other hand, there are also several players who have faded into oblivion. One of them is Punjab fast bowler Manpreet Gony. This has given rise to a cricket query - Where is Manpreet Gony now?

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Where is Manpreet Gony now? 

To answer the 'Where is Manpreet Gony now?' query, here is a background of the player. The right-arm pacer produced sensational performances for CSK in his debut IPL season in 2008. In the inaugural season of the IPL. Manpreet Gony turned out to be CSK's X-factor as he impressed everyone with his quick bowling. In that season, Manpreet Gony ended up picking 17 wickets in 16 games for his team. Moreover, the right-arm pacer ended up being the leading wicket-taker for the Chennai-based franchise.

After a successful IPL 2008, Manpreet Gony was selected in the Indian team for the 2008 Asia Cup. He debuted against Hong Kong but didn't have a memorable game as he finished the game with figures of 0/11. However, in the next match against Bangladesh, he opened his account as he grabbed two wickets in what eventually turned out to be his last appearance for India.

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To regain his place into the national team, he once again headed towards the IPL with a wish to repeat his heroics for CSK but failed to do so. After consistently failing, Manpreet Gony was released by CSK but he was picked by Kings XI Punjab. However, he couldn't prove his worth for his new franchise. Manpreet Gony’s last appearance in IPL came in 2017 playing for Gujarat Lions.

In 2019, he called it quits from international cricket and decided to play T20 leagues as a freelance cricketer. Manpreet Gony walked into the footsteps of Yuvraj Singh and played for Toronto Nationals in the Canada Global T20 League. In an interview, Manpreet Gony had also said that after taking retirement he was going to keep playing for different teams in franchise cricket as he has no BCCI obligations or contract as such to even play domestic cricket for that matter.

However, it is widely believed that the 'Where is Manpreet Gony now?' question's answer lies a lot in a 2013 mishap. According to a PTI report, Gony's mother accused him of threatening to 'kill' her over a dispute arising from a family or ancestral property. For that, Gony reportedly was ready to join hands with his father and wife. But the cricketer rubbished the allegations by saying that he had moved out of his Mohali house and was in Himachal Pradesh when those allegations were made, having nothing to do with his mother anymore.

Since the news made headlines, it is possible that Gony was not in reckoning to make it to the Indian team and could not perform in the IPL due to such personal issues, making him a forgotten yet curious case in Indian cricket.

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Where is Manpreet Gony now? Manpreet Gony stats

Manpreet Gony played 44 matches in the IPL where he managed to bag 37 wickets at an average of 34.78 an economy rate of 8.69. As far as first-class matches are concerned, Gony has played 61 matches and picked up 196 wickets. In List-A, Gony has featured in 55 matches and picked up 77 wickets. 

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IMAGE COURTESY: MANPREET GONY INSTAGRAM