Andhra Ranji Cricket Team stands by Hanuma Vihari amid captaincy controversy

Andra Ranji cricket team threw their support behind Hanuma Vihari after he was stripped of the captaincy by the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) during the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.

Vihari’s revelation came in the aftermath of Andhra’s narrow defeat to Madhya Pradesh by five runs in the quarter-finals of the 2023/24 Ranji Trophy season at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Monday. Vihari took to social media to share a post where the entire team rallied behind him, urging the cricket board to reinstate him as captain. Here is the post:

The whole team knows! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/l5dFkmjGN9

— Hanuma vihari (@Hanumavihari) February 26, 2024

“This is regarding the recent issue involving HANUMA VIHARI. A complaint was lodged by a fellow teammate in the Ranji squad alleging that Vihari had used offensive language and approached him aggressively. However, the truth is that there was no aggressive approach, and such language is commonplace in our team environment, aimed at pushing each other to perform better. Unfortunately, one member took it personally,” the social media post stated.

“All team players, along with the support staff, can attest to this. We firmly stand behind Vihari and wish for him to continue as our captain. We have no grievances against him; he has consistently brought out the best in us. Under his leadership, our team has consistently performed well and has qualified for the playoffs more than seven times. This Ranji season holds immense significance for us, and we have prepared diligently for it. As members of the Andhra Ranji team, we wholeheartedly support Vihari to lead us,” the post continued.

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Response and Clarification: The Controversy Unraveled

Vihari disclosed that he was asked to step down from captaincy following Andhra’s opening game against Bengal after an incident where he reprimanded the 17th player in the team, who happened to be a politician’s son.

Responding to the situation on Instagram, the player in question, wicketkeeper-batter KN Prudhviraj, who is yet to make his first-class debut, stated, “Hello everyone, I am the individual referenced in the comments. Whatever rumors you’ve heard are entirely false; no one is above the game, and my self-respect is paramount.”

“Personal attacks and vulgar language are intolerable in any setting. Everyone within the team is aware of what transpired that day. This is the extent of my response. Play these sympathy games however you wish,” he concluded.