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'He Wasn't Supposed To Be There' - Hanuma Vihari Sheds Light On 17th Player Issue

image-lt5efphuHanuma Vihari is involved in a serious controversy with Andhra [X.com]

Hanuma Vihari shed light on what transpired inside the Andhra Pradesh dressing room amidst the ongoing controversy where the India Test cricketer was recently forced to issue a statement, mentioning he might never turn out for the state again in the senior domestic game. 

Switching states from Hyderabad to Andra in the Ranji Trophy, the India Test player revealed facing internal politics after he abused a 17th player of the squad, who happened to be in relation with a powerful politician in the southern part of India. 

In a lengthy statement made on his Instagram handle, Vihari said he was asked to resign after a run-in with a cricketer named KN Prudhviraj, whose father is the politician concerned and complained to the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA). 

The matter further escalated when Vihari shared a letter signed by all the Andhra players where they claimed the interaction with Prudhviraj was misconstrued by the 17th player while ACA itself alleged that the players were pressurized to sign the letter of support by their former captain. 


Vihari Reveals What Happened Inside Andhra Dressing Room 

Opening the lid on what transpired in an interview with India Today, Vihari said he shouted at Prudhviraj since he wasn't supposed to be inside the dressing room as per the rules set by the ACA and has taken the captain's intent to maintain the dignity of the dressing room personally. 

"It so happened that I shouted at a player, the 17th player who was not supposed to be in the dressing room. According to rules, he was not supposed to be there," Vihari said. 

"But he took it the wrong way and he complained to his father. And everything went wrong from there. They complained about me. And without any wrongdoing from my side, they removed me from the post of captain."

It remains to be seen if ACA will fall in line to ensure Vihari stays put with Andhra ahead of the next season. 

As a prolific scorer in domestic cricket, the veteran right-hander is bound to find multiple offers if he seeks opportunities elsewhere as a professional. But Andra's young side will lose heaps of experience and stability in case Vihari moves on.