Nobody Contacted Me, Says Hanuma Vihari On Being Dropped From Indian Team

Hanuma Vihari said the lack of communication regarding the reasons behind his omission from the Indian Test cricket team has bothered him.

He last played a Test match back in July 2022.

Hanuma Vihari, a prolific run scorer in domestic cricket, was a regular member of the Indian Test side. He made his name for the first time during India’s last tour of the West Indies. However, he is not a part of the current team that’s touring the West Indies for a two Test series that starts on July 12. Vihari has always been known for his tenacity, but it seems as if he is out of favour with the Indian selectors. His last appearance for the Indian team was in July 2022, during the one-off Test against England in Birmingham. Since then, Vihari has been overlooked. Now, he has spoken about his exclusion.

According to Hanuma Vihari, the lack of communication regarding the reasons behind his omission has bothered him. He said that no one from the management ever contacted him to provide any context and the road ahead. “I didn’t find a reason why I was dropped and it was the only thing that was bothering me. Nobody really contacted me and told me the reason why I was dropped. It took some time and I have gone through ups and downs and I’m not worried about it now,” Hanuma Vihari said.

Hanuma Vihari has already made a name for himself in Test cricket. He has opened the innings and even battled it out to draw a Test match with a hamstring injury in Sydney. He is now back in the grind and believes that he can still stack up the runs and make a comeback to the Indian side.

“I’ve put aside my personal side of things and I don’t take too much stress about whether I’m in the Indian team or not. There are other matches to win and it is about winning the trophies,” Hanuma Vihari added.

After the disappointment of the World Test Championship final, the selectors have made changes to the Indian squad. Cheteshwar Pujara has been dropped from the team for the upcoming series against West Indies, while uncapped players, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, have received their maiden call-ups. As per Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill will bat at number three. Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the innings.