Hanuma Vihari Set to Rejoin Andhra Cricket Association After Public Spat
In a surprising turnaround, out-of-favor India Test batter Hanuma Vihari is poised to rejoin the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) for the upcoming domestic season. This development comes after Vihari had earlier this year publicly declared he would “never play for Andhra again” and was in talks with Madhya Pradesh to represent their team.
The move was facilitated after Vihari received assurances of full support from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the new ruling party in the state. Earlier this month, the ACA granted Vihari a much-awaited no-objection certificate, resolving a lengthy public dispute that had erupted following Andhra’s 2023-24 Ranji Trophy campaign.
“I’m so happy to meet minister Nara Lokesh gaaru today, and he assured me that I will have full support coming back to Andhra Cricket Association,” Vihari told reporters. “I am so happy meeting him, and I have got full assurance after meeting him. I understand his aspirations for the Andhra Cricket Association.”
At the time, Vihari had expressed feeling “humiliated and embarrassed” by the treatment he faced from certain factions within the association, citing “political interference” as one of the reasons for stepping down as captain at the start of the season.
Vihari’s decision to rejoin Andhra has left the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) disgruntled, with association insiders unhappy about being kept in the dark regarding this development. Vihari was previously in talks to play for Madhya Pradesh last year, but the move did not materialize for undisclosed reasons.
The 30-year-old Vihari, who has represented India in 16 Tests and scored 839 runs at an average of 33.56, began his domestic career with Hyderabad in 2010-11 before moving to Andhra in 2015-16. He briefly returned to Hyderabad prior to the 2021-22 season before rejoining Andhra.
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