Hanuma Vihari Joins Tripura For 2025-26 Domestic Season
Vihari, who was named Player of the Tournament in the recently concluded Andhra Premier League, received a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA).
"Yes, Vihari has been signed up by us for the upcoming domestic season. We expect his signing to go well for the team. With him in the mix, we expect the team to qualify for knockouts of domestic competitions this year," Subrata Dey told IANS.
IANS understand that the names of Swapnil Singh, Vijay Shankar and Mandeep Singh, who turned out for Tripura last season after leaving Punjab, are in consideration for the remaining two professional players spots.
"Two other professional players will also be roped in by the association and the meeting for selecting them is still ongoing. The names of other two professional players signed up for the season will be out later this evening."
On joining Tripura, Vihari cited playing all three formats as the main reason behind the move.
"I was keen on other opportunities since I believe I'm good enough to play all three formats. Andhra made it clear they were looking at youngsters for the T20 format. That was why I decided it didn't make sense playing even the 50-over format, so I sat out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well. I also wanted to play in a new environment," ESPNcricinfo quoted Vihari as saying.
Vihari’s move to Tripura brings an end to a turbulent chapter with Andhra. Following the 2023-24 Ranji season, he was left “humiliated and embarrassed” after a public spat with sections of the ACA, alleging “political interference” as the reason behind his decision to step down as captain. Ahead of 2024-25, he was close to joining Madhya Pradesh for a second straight year but was persuaded to stay by TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh - a u-turn that upset the MPCA.
"I was keen on other opportunities since I believe I'm good enough to play all three formats. Andhra made it clear they were looking at youngsters for the T20 format. That was why I decided it didn't make sense playing even the 50-over format, so I sat out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well. I also wanted to play in a new environment," ESPNcricinfo quoted Vihari as saying.
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However, Tripura hasn't guaranteed a captainship role to Vihari but he is likely to be part of the leadership group. "As a senior player, I'll contribute whatever the team expects of me, from a leadership standpoint whether I'm captain or not. They've got some decent players. I wanted to play in a team where I can build (the squad), and be part of a setup that is hungry to challenge the bigger teams," the India batter said.