Team India are set to take on West Indies in the first Test of their Caribbean tour in 2023, and it will be a special occasion for Ajinkya Rahane who was recently promoted to vice-captain once again, after his epic comeback in red-ball cricket following the World Test Championship (WTC) final. After a strong IPL 2023 season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rahane earned a re-call into the Indian red-ball team for the WTC final, and he was subsequently made vice-captain ahead of the Caribbean tour.
Hanuma Vihari is also looking to replicate a similar story, looking to make a comeback to the Indian team.
Having last played for the Indian team in 2022, the 29-year-old is looking to give ‘best’ for his state/zone team. Vihari also said that he was been branded a ‘Test player’ and he’s looking to prove his point in white-ball formats as well.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Vihari said that he wasn’t too sure why he was dropped from the Indian team, but he is looking to emulate the story of Rahane to find a way back to the national team.
“I thought whenever I got a chance, I did my best. Maybe my best was not good enough for the Indian team. But again, I will try to keep getting better. That’s all you can do as a sportsman,” said Vihari.
He continued, “Hope is always there until you retire that you can come back. I’m still 29 and have a lot of time to go. I’ve seen Ajinkya Rahane make a comeback at 35. I still feel I can contribute to the Indian side in the Test format, especially if I can get some runs in the domestic season.”
While Rahane made good use of the IPL 2023 season to add a new dimension to his game that certainly helped in his comeback, Vihari hasn’t been playing in IPL but he feels that he been given the tag of a ‘Test cricket’ which is unfair in his opinion.
“Everyone says ‘he’s a Test player’, they brand me as a Test player. I don’t think it’s fair. I have grown as a white-ball player as well, but many don’t believe that because they brand you as a certain player, only red-ball or white-ball,” the all-rounder added.
Rahane looked promising in the WTC final and the 35-year-old will be looking to continue that momentum when he takes to the field in the first Test at Windsor Park from July 12.
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