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'Will Never Play For Andhra' - Hanuma Vihari On Captaincy Sacking For Politician's Son

image-lt2sfe4zHanuma Vihari was one of India's regulars in red-ball cricket (Instagram)

In a coruscating critique that rocked the foundations of domestic cricket, seasoned Andhra batter, Hanuma Vihari has unleashed a barrage of criticism against the Andhra Cricket Association following his team's disheartening quarterfinal loss to Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy in Indore.

Vihari's outrage comes in the aftermath of a turbulent season that saw him step down from his role as team captain, a position he had assumed from the outset against Bengal, only to hand it over to Ricky Bhui after the first game.


Vihari blasts Andhra Cricket Association in shocking revelation

The fallout from the defeat saw Hanuma Vihari take to Instagram to voice his displeasure, laying bare the inner conflicts that led to his resignation as captain. According to Vihari, his demotion was the result of a confrontation with a team member, which went out of control when the player's politically connected father demanded the association take action against him. Despite leading the team to a remarkable chase of 410 runs against Bengal, Vihari found himself sidelined.

“I was the captain in the first game against Bengal, during that game I shouted on 17th player and he complained to his dad(who is a politician), 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,” wrote Vihari.


Vihari's contribution to Andhra cricket has been significant, having led the team to the quarterfinals the previous season as well, where they faced a similar fate against Madhya Pradesh. Despite suffering a forearm fracture during the match, Vihari showed commendable spirit by batting left-handed, although it was not enough to avert defeat.

In his statement, Vihari expressed a sense of betrayal by the association, stating, "I never said anything on a personal note to the player, but the association thought that player was more important than the guy who gave his body on the line last year and batted left-handed, took Andhra to knockouts 5 times in the last 7 years and played for India in 16 Tests."


The 30-year-old cricketer's disappointment with the Andhra Cricket Association reached a boiling point as he announced his decision to never play for Andhra again, citing a loss of self-respect and disillusionment with the association's disregard for player growth and autonomy.

“Sad part is the association thinks that players have to listen to whatever they say and players are there because of them. I’ve decided that I’ll never play for Andhra where i lost my self respect. I love the team. I love the way we’re growing every season but association doesn’t want us to grow,” concluded Vihari.

This controversy overshadows Vihari's illustrious career with Andhra, including his aspiration to join Madhya Pradesh for the 2023-24 season, which was thwarted by a denied NOC from the Andhra association. Despite these setbacks, Vihari's dedication to the sport and his team remained undiminished, though his future with Andhra cricket now seems irremediably altered.