The Ranji Trophy this year grabbed the attention of the conflict in the Andhra Pradesh team. He revealed his decision to resign from Andhra cricket due to issues related to politics on the board. In a detailed Instagram post, he narrated how reprimanding a player with political connections resulted in his removal as the team captain during the Ranji Trophy 2023/24.
The Conflict Between Hanuma Vihari and KN Prudhviraj:
Hanuma Vihari dropped a bombshell, unveiling that political interference led to his abrupt removal as Andhra’s captain after just one match in the Ranji Trophy. The middle-order batter disclosed that an outburst at the 17th team player during their Bengal match, despite a victory, triggered his ousting by the association. This shocking decision unfolded after the Ranji season, with Hanuma announcing his departure from Andhra cricket via Instagram.
The cricketer alleges that the political influence resulted in his unceremonious sacking, creating a tense atmosphere within the team. Despite his dedicated contributions to the state team, Vihari expressed feeling humiliated and embarrassed by the association’s actions. The controversy underscores the challenges cricketers face, not just on the field, but also in navigating the complex dynamics of sports administration, where political connections can impact decisions.
Vihari’s Instagram Post:
On February 26, Hanuma Vihari made a social media post. That post grabbed the spotlight. Hanuma Vihari shared an image of a letter addressed to the President and Secretary of the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), featuring signatures from the rest of his team. The letter said, “Sir this is about the ongoing issue about HANUMA VIHARI. A complaint has been issued by a fellow teammate in the Ranji squad that Vihari has used foul language and has approached him aggressively and this sort of language has been a very common thing in our team atmosphere and it is always in getting the best out of the team, and it has been used since long ages in team dressing room.”
Furtherly, “Unfortunately one of the team member took it personally. We all the team players including the support staff have been witness to it, and we want Vihari to continue as our captain. Since we have no issues with him and he always bought the best out of us and as you can see the team has done very well and united his leadership and qualified more than 7 times under his leadership. Sir Ranji season means a lot to us as players and we have prepared so well and also started the tournament with a win against Bengal. As Andhra Ranji team players we want Vihari to lead our side.” He posted a picture of the letter and wrote, “The whole team knows.”
Ricky Bhui assumed leadership of the team from Hanuma Vihari after Vihari had to step down during Ranji Trophy 2023/24. Bhui also endorsed the letter that detailed the incident where Vihari expressed his frustration with KN Prudhviraj, the team’s 17th player.
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
