In a surprising turn of events, cricketer Hanuma Vihari, once hailed as India’s hero from the Sydney Test, has announced his decision to quit the Andhra Pradesh cricket team, citing humiliation and mistreatment by the state’s cricket association. Vihari, who played a pivotal role in India’s historic run-chase at Sydney, expressed his disappointment in a detailed Instagram post, revealing the circumstances that led to his departure.
According to Vihari’s account, he was asked to resign from the captaincy after a disagreement with a fellow player, whose father, described as a ‘prominent politician’, filed a complaint with the Andhra Pradesh Cricket Association. Despite Vihari’s impressive track record and the support he garnered from teammates, he found himself stripped of the captaincy and felt disrespected by the association’s decision.
“I was the captain in the first game against Bengal,” Vihari explained. “I shouted at the 17th player, and he complained to his dad, who, being a politician, urged the association to take action against me. Despite our significant achievements, including chasing 410 against Bengal last year, I was asked to resign without any fault of mine.”
In a heartbreaking quarterfinal loss to Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy, Vihari’s decision to step away from Andhra cricket unfolded.
Despite his dedication to the game and the team, Vihari expressed feeling humiliated and embarrassed by the association’s treatment. He declared, “I’ve decided that I’ll never play for Andhra where I lost my self-respect.“
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The saga took an unexpected turn when Prudhvi Raj KN, the player in question, responded on Instagram, alleging that Vihari had abused him during the Bengal Ranji game.
The Andhra Cricket Association swiftly joined the fray, issuing an official statement that shed light on their perspective.
The association claimed that Vihari had verbally abused Prudhvi Raj in front of everyone during the Bengal Ranji game, leading to an official complaint.
They further explained the captaincy change, stating that it was prompted by Vihari’s status as an Indian prospect, impacting his season-long availability.
The ACA alleged receiving complaints from teammates, support staff, and administrators about Vihari’s use of foul language and abusive behavior.
As the controversy deepens, the ACA also accused Vihari of frequently seeking a No Objection Certificate to move to other state teams, only to reverse the decision.
In response, Vihari took to Twitter to share the ACA’s statement, expressing a willingness to participate in an inquiry into the complaints.
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The cricketing community now awaits the resolution of this publicized dispute, which has brought into question the dynamics between players and cricket associations in domestic cricket.
