Hanuma Vihari, the former Hyderabad skipper who now plays for Andhra, made his way into the Indian dressing room for the rest of the Test series against England on Wednesday. The selectors met in Nottingham and picked Vihari along with Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw to replace Kuldeep Yadav and Murali Vijay for the tour.
The 24-year-old recently played a fighting 148-run knock against South Africa ‘A’ which drew the attention of the Indian selectors towards him.
“It made a difference. I feel that 148-knock gave me the belief that I have a chance to be selected for the English tour. I’m excited and relieved. I always dreamt that one day I will play for India,’’ said Vihari in an interview.
Vihari recalled his parents’ sacrifices which kept him in action on the field. Vihari said he owes his rise to his mother Vijayalakshmi, sister Vaishnavi, uncle Prasad and coach John Manoj.
“I know how much Amma has sacrificed for me. Of course, my uncle also played a huge role. My training at the St John’s camp played a huge influence on my career. John (Manoj) sir and other coaches gave me a lot of support when I started playing the game,” he said.
Speaking about the challenges he may face in English conditions, he said, “India ‘A’ tour to England was a great experience for me. The ball will seam and swing around. I have to play a waiting game. To be selected and play in this wonderful team and play under Kohli is a great feeling. Now that I have made it to the Indian team, I have to be there for a long time. It is a huge challenge.”
Surprisingly, Vihari has the highest first-class average in the world.
59.45 – this is the average Vihari is currently carrying against his name. Surprisingly, he has surpassed former Aussie skipper Steve Smith (57.27), Indian skipper Virat Kohli (53.97), Rohit Sharma (54.71) and Cheteshwar Pujara (53.94).