All set? Amidst the Andhra controversy, R Ashwin invites Hanuma Vihari to a “Kutty Stories” segment on his YouTube talk show

Following his announcement on social media that he will not be playing domestic cricket for Andhra Pradesh due to being forced to resign as team captain, Ravichandran Ashwin extended an invitation for Hanuma Vihari to appear as a guest on his YouTube chat show, “Kutty Stories.”

Honorable Vihari, are you prepared? Written by Ashwin. In response, Vihari said, “Whenever you’re ready, I am too.”

Vihari’s admission follows Andhra’s five-run defeat by Madhya Pradesh in Monday’s Ranji Trophy 2023–24 quarterfinal at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

“Even though we battled until the very end, it wasn’t meant to be. I’m devastated to see Andhra lose another quarter. I wish to make some statements on some facts in this article. In the first game against Bengal, I was the captain. I yelled at the 17th player during that game, and he complained to his political father. The politician’s father then requested that the Association take action against me.

“Without any fault of my own, I was asked to resign from captaincy even though we chased 410 against Bengal, the winners from last year.” I never said anything personal about the player, but the association felt that player was more valuable than the left-handed batsman who sacrificed his life for the team last year, led Andhra to five straight shutouts in the previous seven years, and participated in sixteen test matches for India.

“I was ashamed, but my respect for the game and my team was the only thing that kept me playing this season.” The unfortunate aspect is that associations believe players are there because of them and that players must heed anything they have to say. I was ashamed and embarrassed, but I didn’t talk about it until now.

I’ve made the decision not to play for Andhra anymore since I no longer have self-respect. I adore the group. Vihari stated in his in-depth piece, “I love how we’re growing every season, but the association doesn’t want us to grow.”

A few hours later, Hanuma Vihari was charged by the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) of verbally insulting teammates and acting inappropriately among coaches and support personnel.

Because Vihari’s position as an Indian prospect would limit his availability for the whole season, the Chairman of the Senior Selection Committee suggested a new captain in an email sent out in January 2024, after the first Ranji Trophy match. The Senior Selection Committee appointed Ricky Bhui as the new captain after Vihari thanked them for the choice, according to an ACA statement.