India international Hanuma Vihari steps down as captain before Ranji Trophy game

India player Hanuma Vihari will not be leading Andhra in the ongoing Ranji Trophy after having stepped down from captaincy on Thursday. On Friday, during Andhra's Group B match against Mumbai, Ricky Bhui was leading the side.

According to media reports, Vihari's decision was personal and he wanted to focus on his batting. Vihari managed 51 runs in the opening game against Bengal, which ended in a draw.

Interestingly, he was mulling a move to Madhya Pradesh before the start of the season, as he was eager to play under domestic coach Chandrakant Pandit to revive his international career. 

Vihari has represented India in 16 Tests so far, scoring 839 runs at an average of 33.56, including a ton and five half-centuries, with a top score of III against the West Indies in Kingston in 2019. Having made his Test debut at The Oval in 2018, his last outing also happened to be in England, in Birmingham 2022.