Indian cricketer Hanuma Vihari vows not to play for Andhra
In a shocking development, Hanuma Vihari released a statement, vowing not to play for Andhra. He shared how he was humiliated by the Andra Cricket Association's decision to leave captaincy following a controversy with a teammate, who he alleged had political influence. After Andhra's heart-breaking defeat to Madhya Pradesh in the 2024 Ranji Trophy quarter-final, Vihari came up with a statement on Instagram.
Why does this story matter?
According to Vihari's statement, he had an altercation with a youngster during Andhra's opening clash against Bengal. As per Vihari, his actions led to a complaint from the player's father, who is a politician, and therefore, the association decided to take action against the veteran batter. Eventually, Vihari left captaincy and felt very humiliated by the way he was treated.
I was asked to resign from captaincy: Hanuma Vihari
"I was captain in the first game against Bengal, and during the game, I shouted at the 17th player, and he complained to his dad (who is a politician)," Vihari wrote. "His dad in return asked the association to take action against me. Although we chased 410 against last year's finalists Bengal, I was asked to resign from captaincy without any fault of mine."
Vihari felt humiliated by Andra Cricket Association
"I never said anything on a personal note to the player, but the association thought the player was more important than the guy who gave his body on the line last year and batted left-handed, took Andhra to the knockouts five times in the last seven years and played for India in 16 Tests," Vihari wrote. Vihari was pivotal in Andhra's recent success.
Second-highest run-getter for Andhra in 2024 Ranji Trophy
Despite losing captaincy after the first game of the 2024 Ranji Trophy, Vihari showed tremendous resilience to turn up for Andhra in the next seven games. He finished as Andhra's second-highest run-getter in the 2024 Ranji Trophy with 522 runs from eight matches at 40.15. Vihari hammered a solitary ton along with three fifties. Only Ricky Bhui scored more runs for Andhra (902).
Andhra failed to qualify for their first-ever Ranji Trophy semi-finals
Andhra folded for only 172 runs in the first innings, conceding a 62-run lead to Madhya Pradesh. However, the hosts could only manage a paltry 107 in the second innings, setting up a target of 170 for Andhra to qualify for their first-ever semi-finals. Although Andhra fell short by five runs, Vihari scored a valiant 55-run knock and kept them in the game.
Vihari was rumored to join Madhya Pradesh
Before the start of the 2024 Ranji Trophy campaign, there were strong rumors of Vihari leaving Andhra and joining Madhya Pradesh. As per ESPNcricinfo, he even had talks with the Madhya Pradesh coach Chandrakant Pandit. Ultimately, the move didn't materialize as the Andhra Cricket Association persuaded him to stay before the 2023 Duleep Trophy, where he led South Zone to the title.
A look at his First-Class career
Vihari made his FC debut for Hyderabad in 2010 and featured for them for many years before shifting base to Andhra in the 2015-16 season. The 30-year-old has amassed 9,325 runs from 124 FC matches at 51.80. He owns 24 centuries and 49 fifties in red-ball cricket. In 16 Tests for India, Vihari has compiled 839 runs with a solitary ton and five fifties.