Indian Test middle-order batsman Hanuma Vihari will be playing for Warwickshire in the early rounds of the County Championship, England’s premier domestic first-class competition.
The Warwickshire County Cricket Club confirmed the news on Thursday, stating that they expect Vihari to play in the next week’s game against Nottinghamshire.
The cricketer will be going through six days of quarantine upon his arrival in the UK, with his participation in the second round fixture dependent on giving negative COVID-19 tests.
Warwickshire signed up Vihari as cover for Pieter Malan. Malan, the South African batsman, faced hurdles in obtaining a visa as his home country falls in the category of ‘red list’ nations as per the UK government amid coronavirus pandemic. Awaiting clarity over Malan’s case and availability, the county club based in Birmingham found it fit to have a player in Vihari capable of filling the void.
We’re also very grateful to Hanuma for stepping in at such short notice to cover Pieter Malan whilst we await confirmation of visa and his safe entry to the UK from South Africa. He’s a high-quality batsman, and an effective off spinner, who has been part of two India Test series victories in Australia. But he also comes to Warwickshire with an outstanding record in the First Class game and our young batsmen are going to learn a huge amount from playing and training with someone of Hanuma’s calibre.
said Paul Farbrace, Warwickshire’s Director of Cricket, in a statement.
Vihari has played 12 Tests for India with 624 runs, including four half-centuries and a hundred. The Andhra Pradesh batsman has played only one of his Tests in home conditions and has been a vital cog in the successive series wins in Australia in recent years.
Vihari’s last Test outing for India saw him battle a hamstring injury and help India survive with a draw in the Sydney New Year’s Test. The injury, however, didn’t allow Vihari to play the following Test against Australia in Brisbane and also the home Test series versus England.
Having recovered now, Vihari is looking forward to his county stint.
I’m looking forward to this opportunity and to play for a big club like Warwickshire is really exciting
he said.
Warwickshire are part of Group 1 of the new conference system based County Championship and will be facing Derbyshire, Durham, Essex, Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire twice – once at home and once away.
If the club finishes within the top two positions in the group, it’ll enter Division 1 in the second phase of the competition and have the chance to clinch the Championship title.
For Vihari, who found no buyer at the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction in Chennai, the Warwickshire stint offers him the chance to get into the groove before the ultimate face-off with New Zealand in Southampton from June 18 to 22nd.
It is likely that most of India’s Test regulars will stay in England through July for the marquee five-Test series versus the hosts, starting on August 4 at Trent Bridge. The series will also feature matches at Lord’s (August 12-16), Headingley (August 25-29), Oval (September 2-6) and Manchester (September 10-14).
In July, Vihari and other Indian Test cricketers are expected to take part in some four-day fixtures involving a travelling India’ A’ side as well to keep attuned with the red-ball format before taking on England.
