Vihari on return to Indian workforce: If I win Ranji Trophy with Andhra and rating sufficient runs, alternatives will come

A floodgate of recollections opened as Hanuma Vihari walked into the Holkar Stadium on Thursday. Last 12 months, throughout Andhra’s Ranji Trophy quarterfinal conflict in opposition to Madhya Pradesh on the similar venue, Vihari fractured his forearm, however nonetheless walked out to bat left-handed. Though his efforts earned him reward, Andhra crashed out of the match after a five-wicket defeat.

As the 2 groups meet in one more quarterfinal on Friday, Vihari is assured of Andhra’s possibilities. “If we are in a similar situation like last year, we will seize the game this time around,” Vihari informed Sportstar.

“When we stepped on to the ground, memories of last year’s quarterfinals came back. But the current team’s mentality is a little different now and we have grown as players; our youngsters are more experienced,” he stated.

Vihari relinquished captaincy after the workforce’s first group league match in January and has been enjoying as a specialist batter since. “I have moved on quite quickly because we have an able leader in Ricky Bhui. We get along well, so we play in the best interest of the team. In that aspect, both Ricky and I are on the same page, so it was easier to adjust,” Vihari, who has amassed 453 runs to this point, stated.

Over the previous couple of days, Andhra has been capable of preserve its ‘core players’ intact and that, in keeping with Vihari, is among the causes behind the workforce’s success. “We have been playing good cricket. Last year also, we played some really good cricket despite being in a tough pool. This time, too, it was not an easy group, but as a red-ball team, we have been performing consistently over the last six to seven years,” he stated.

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“We built a good side and we have been playing together and we know each other’s game. We bonded really well, and that’s the reason why we are in another quarterfinal…”

Being a seasoned campaigner, he additionally believes that forward of a marquee sport, it’s vital to not assume ‘too much’ in regards to the sport. “If you give the game too much importance, you end up taking too much pressure, which may not be the right thing to do. We have been playing good cricket, and we don’t need to change too much. We just need to keep repeating what we have been doing at the group stage and if we can do that, we should be fine,” he stated.

Vihari has been out of the Indian workforce since July 2022. However, for now, his focus is to information Andhra to a Ranji Trophy title. “If I win a Ranji Trophy for Andhra and score enough runs, the opportunities will come,” Vihari stated with a smile, including: “If I take too much pressure, I don’t think I can perform out there. So, the only target is to win the Ranji Trophy title for Andhra this year…” Fingers crossed.