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In a dramatic turn of events that has sent shockwaves through the cricketing community, Andhra Pradesh's star Hanuma Vihari has unleashed a scathing attack on the Andhra State Cricket Association following his team's agonising defeat in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Madhya Pradesh in Indore on February 26 (Monday).
Beginning the season with high hopes as Andhra's captain against Bengal, Vihari made a startling decision to step down from his leadership role after just the first league game of the tournament. The captaincy was then passed to Ricky Bhui, with Vihari focusing on his batting. But the plot thickens post-campaign, as Vihari revealed a controversial fallout with the Andhra State Cricket Association, accusing them of forcibly stripping him of his captaincy following a clash with a team member.
In an act of defiance, Vihari announced his immediate departure from the Andhra team.
"I was the captain in the first game against Bengal, during that game I shouted on the 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,” Vihari wrote on his Instagram.
Hanuma Vihari's revelations sends shockwaves
The saga takes on a more bizarre twist considering Vihari's heroic efforts last season, leading Andhra to the quarterfinals, only to face defeat against the same opponent, Madhya Pradesh, at the same venue. Adding to the drama, Vihari, who suffered a forearm fracture during the match, displayed an extraordinary display of courage by batting left-handed, despite his injury, in a valiant but ultimately futile effort to stave off defeat.
Vihari's tumultuous journey saw him last donning the Indian jersey in a Test against England in 2022. Ahead of the 2023-24 season, he eyed a move to Madhya Pradesh, only to be denied a No-Objection Certificate by the Andhra association, a decision that led him to reluctantly commit to another season as captain.
"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 knock outs 5 times in the last 7 years and played for India in 16 Tests. I felt embarrassed but the only reason I continued playing this season was because I respect the game and my team," Vihari added.
"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," he concluded.
Who was Hanuma Vihari referring to?
Although Vihari refrained from naming the team member involved, wicket-keeper batter KN Prudhviraj responded to the situation through a post on social media.
"I am that guy you are searching in that comment box. Whatever you guys heard is absolute false, no one is higher than the game and my self-respect is much bigger than anything. Personal attacks and vulgar language is unacceptable in any platform. Everyone in the team knows what has happened that day. Play this sympathy games, however you want,” Prudhviraj wrote on his Instagram.
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