Former India opener turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has stated that he doesn’t want to be Hanuma Vihari now, considering the way he has been treated. His comments came as Vihari isn’t getting enough chances.
Vihari had played a match-saving partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin in the Sydney Test against Australia with a hamstring tear. But, he was not even added to the Indian squad for the home series against New Zealand and did not play the first Test against South Africa in Centurion too.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra opened up on his future, saying:
“He will be sad. Honestly speaking, I don’t want to be Hanuma Vihari right now because you don’t play me a match at home. Last time when I had played for India, my hamstring was torn, but despite that I batted and saved India in Sydney.”
The former India cricketer continued: “After that, when the matches are there at home, you don’t play me. You play someone else at home and tell me to go to South Africa and get ready and that they will play me there. I go to South Africa and get ready as well, score runs after swallowing a bitter pill but still you don’t play me. If you don’t want to play me, what are you doing with me?” Aakash Chopra added.
“He has got every right to be unhappy” – Aakash Chopra on Shreyas Iyer
Moreover, Shreyas Iyer has made a debut in the Kanpur Test against New Zealand, Vihari has played against South Africa A as part of the India A side as well.
He was again ignored for the first Test against the Proteas, where an out-of-form Ajinkya Rahane was selected ahead of him. Aakash Chopra further added:
“He has got every right to be unhappy. I am sure Rahul Dravid would have spoken to him, Kohli would have also spoken and explained to him. Explanation is fine but the pain is felt only by whoever gets injured. We cannot feel what must be going through Hanuma Vihari’s mind at the moment, we can only show empathy.”
“I don’t think he will be very happy with the way his Test career is shaping up because he should have been played. He should have been played the Kanpur Test and probably the Centurion one also. Play him a few matches in India as well, I am not particularly happy about that,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
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