Hanuma Vihari Hopeful To Make English County Cricket In The Upcoming Summer
Mar 19, 2020 at 2:10 AM
Indian Test cricketer Hanuma Vihari is hopeful of making his debut in the English county cricket in the upcoming season, which is currently on hold in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.
The 26-year-old Hanuma Vihari has played some useful cricket in his early Test career. He wants to utilise the upcoming summer by featuring in the English county cricket. While he has the plan to play four English county matches in the forthcoming season, his final paperwork is currently on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, the all-rounder is hopeful of fulfilling this planning.
Vihari told PTI, “I was supposed to play four English county games this season. I would only be able to tell you the name when all the paperwork is complete. Right now, it’s on hold due to the unavoidable situation (COVID-19).
“Hope once it’s under control, I will be able to play those games. It will be a learning experience for me.”
While there is no big commitment to the game, Vihari was recently busy in the Raja of Palayampatti Shield (1st division league of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association) where he scored 202 runs for Nelson CC against Alwarpet CC.
He said, “I work for Nelson and I am committed to play when I am available. It was good match practice. Now I am back in Hyderabad. I will be taking a break for the time being.”
Hanuma Vihari talked about his overseas success
In the recently concluded India tour of New Zealand, where the visitors faced the green top pitched during the Test series, Vihari scored fighting 55 runs during the first innings of the last Test of that two-match Test series at Christchurch. However, he doesn’t want to call it his best innings.
He claimed, “I wouldn’t call it my best innings. Yes, I was playing well but that innings didn’t get a victory for my team. It was good to score runs in tough conditions but you value it more when the team wins.”
After making his Test debut in September 2018, during India tour of England, Vihari has played nine Tests where he scored 552 runs (average 36.80) mostly as a middle-order batsman. In his Test career, he has scored four half-centuries and one century.
While he has majorly played outside the Asian soil, except only the Visakhapatnam Test against South Africa, he believes that his technique is useful in overseas conditions.
The Indian cricketer said, “I have the self belief and the team believes that I have the technique to get success in overseas conditions.
“Adaptability. I believe I have been able to adapt well in all conditions and I have confidence that I can perform any role that the team assigns me.”
Vihari is hopeful now of getting more chances to play on the home soil.
He added, “I am sure that I will get a chance to play in home conditions as well. My job is to work hard and be prepared for any situation.”
While the coronavirus has postponed most of the recent cricket matches schedules, Vihari is ready to follow his training chart in this off time.