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Hanuma Vihari looking forward to his time with Warwickshire in county cricket

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Test specialist Hanuma Vihari is all set to begin his county stint with Warwickshire and he expressed his excitement at getting a chance to play in county cricket. Taking to his Instagram handle, Vihari shared a picture of himself with a caption “Looking forward to tomorrow”. Vihari was earlier signed by the county team but any official announcement wasn’t made as they were trying to make Vihari play a few more matches rather than just the three matches which he will surely play.

Vihari had left for England more than a week earlier as he had to comply with the quarantine rules at place in England. Vihari who is an important member of the Test side hasn’t played any international cricket following his heroic effort at Sydney during the Test series Down-Under. Despite leading Andhra Pradesh in the Vijay-Hazare Trophy, Vihari was far from his best and managed to score just a solitary half-century and failed to make double-digits in five consecutive matches. 

"With a curtailed domestic season this time and Vihari being a part of the Test side, he needs match practice. All his other Test colleagues are part of IPL teams, including Cheteshwar (Pujara). Even if it's white-ball games, they will be fit and match-ready," the senior BCCI official was quoted as saying by the Sportstar after Vihari left for England. 

"However, we need to ensure that Vihari also gets game time before the England tour. It's not just one World Test Championship final, but the full-fledged five-Test series that follows. We need him ready," he added.

Indian players playing county seasons is nothing new. Over the years, several Indian cricketers have plied their trade in County Cricket especially ahead of tours to England and the other SENA countries. Getting acclimatised to conditions in England is always important and this opportunity might help Vihari and India in the long run. Meanwhile, Warwickshire plays their first game against Nottinghamshire starting tomorrow at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.

This is Vihari's Instagram post

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