Former India opener Aakash Chopra has backed middle-order batter Hanuma Vihari to find his place back in India’s XI for the upcoming matches against South Africa. Vihari last played for India in January 2021 this year in Sydney Test where he played a gritty knock to save the match for India. The talented batter failed to get a place in playing XI after that match in both home and overseas conditions.
Vihari was recently snubbed for the New Zealand Test series at home for which the selection committee faced a lot of scrutiny. However, the 28-year-old was later sent to South Africa with the India A team and now he has rejoined the senior team for the three-match Test series on Proteas soil.
“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,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
The former India opener is furious with the Indian team management’s handling of Vihari’s situation in the Indian team.
“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?” he added.
Chopra claims that he is sure that head coach Rahul Dravid and Test captain Virat Kohli have explained the situation to Vihari. However, Chopra feels that Vihari has every right to be unhappy with the situation and nobody can feel what he must be going through at the moment.
“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.”
