Ahmedabad
Vihari had criticized political interference during the 2023-24 Ranji season, leading to him losing his captaincy and stating that he would not play for Andhra again. The ACA sent a notice to Vihari on March 25 via email, asking for an explanation of his comments. In his response, Vihari mentioned that he had highlighted the “unfair” treatment he had received.
“I have requested ACA for a no-objection certificate to play for another team. I am waiting for their response,” Vihari told ESPNcricinfo.
An ACA official mentioned to PTI that they had sent the notice to Vihari after he raised concerns about his removal as Andhra captain, and that they were awaiting his reply.
“We have issued him a show-cause notice to understand the reasons behind his previous statements. We hope he will share his grievances with us,” the official stated.
On February 26, Vihari had declared that he would not represent Andhra again due to the treatment he received, stating that he felt humiliated after the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy. This statement came after Andhra’s narrow loss to Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-final.
In an Instagram post, Vihari alleged that he was pressured to step down as captain following a game against Bengal in January due to political influences. He mentioned that despite Andhra’s impressive performance, he was asked to resign unfairly.
The ACA later released a statement questioning Vihari’s actions during his captaincy, mentioning an official complaint filed by a player against Vihari for verbal abuse during the Bengal Ranji game.
