Ranji Trophy | Hanuma Vihari & the Andhra cricket controversy: India batter says won't play for Andhra again

Ranji controversy: Hanuma Vihari posted that a run-in with a player during the first match has resulted in his dismissal as captain. The Andhra cricket association has denied this claim, explaining that since Vihari's continuity in the tournament was under question, the selection committee took a deliberate call. (Representational image: Juan Salamanca via Pexels)

India international Hanuma Vihari dropped a bomb after Andhra lost the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal to Madhya Pradesh by four runs in Indore on Monday. He took to Instagram to share that he had been asked to step down from captaincy after the first match against Bengal in January.

In the Instagram post, Vihari wrote that he had a run-in with a player during the first match. According to Vihari, the player complained to his father, a politician, who pressured the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) to take action against the international batter. "I was the captain in the first game against Bengal, and during the game, I shouted at the 17th player, and he complained to his dad, a politician. His dad, in return, asked the association to take action against me. Although we chased 410 against Bengal for a first-innings lead, I was asked to resign from captaincy without any fault of mine.

"I never said anything on a personal note to the player. The association thought the player was more important than the guy who gave his body on the line last year, and batted left-handed, took Andhra to the knockouts five times in the last seven years and played for India in 16 Tests," Vihari wrote.

The ACA has denied the allegations made by the cricketer, adding that the selection committee had taken the call regarding his captaincy. "In January 2024, following the first Ranji Trophy game, an email from the Chairman of the Senior Selection Committee proposed a new captain due to Vihari’s status as an Indian prospect affecting his season-long availability. Vihari, in response, expressed appreciation for the decision, leading to Ricky Bhui being announced as the new captain," said a statement from the ACA.

"It has come to our attention that Mr Vihari verbally abused a specific player during the Bengal Ranji game in front of everyone. The affected player filed an official complaint with ACA," it added. The ACA is expected to conduct an inquiry.

Despite losing captaincy, Vihari did not leave mid-season since he "respects the game and the team". In a joint statement, his teammates confirmed that he did not approach the youngster aggressively, and the expletive he used was common in their dressing room.

Vihari did not name the player, but infuriated by the social media war, he came to the forefront. K.N. Prudhviraj, a wicketkeeper-batter and the son of YSRCP politician Kuntrapakam Narsimha, accused Vihari of playing the sympathy card.