After showing grit and determination while batting with a wrist injury during Andhra Pradesh’s Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Madhya Pradesh, India batter Hanuma Vihari shared an inspiring message on social media to encourage others to “never give up”. He also expressed gratitude for all the well wishes he received after his injury and praised for his bravery in continuing to play despite the injury.
“Do it for the team. Do it for the bunch. Never give up!! Thank you everyone for your wishes. Means a lot!!,” Hanuma tweeted along with a video of himself approaching the crease and batting with one hand.
In the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy third Test against Australia, India’s Hanuma Vihari showcased his bravery and resolve. Despite sustaining a fracture in his left wrist during a Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match, Vihari continued to bat left-handed, reminiscent of his previous heroics.
Although Hanuma Vihari won’t be part of India’s squad for the 2023 Border Gavaskar Trophy defense starting on February 9th in Nagpur, his fearless and tenacious batting still leaves a lasting impression. In a memorable Sydney Test, despite a torn hamstring, he batted with determination to secure a draw for his team, who were chasing a 407-run target. Vihari contributed 23 runs off 161 deliveries and, along with all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, helped India escape defeat and finish the match at 334/5.
On this occasion, Hanuma Vihari returned to the batting after suffering an injury to his left wrist from a bouncer delivered by pacer Avesh Khan. To protect his left arm, he chose to bat left-handed instead of his natural right-handed stance. This allowed him to avoid exposing his injury to the bowler.
When he left the field with 16 runs off 37 balls, an X-ray revealed Hanuma’s fracture, with a projected absence from the game for 5-6 weeks. The team management decided that he would only bat if necessary.
On day two, Andhra Pradesh seemed to be in a strong position at 323/2, with centuries from Ricky Bhui (149) and Karan Shinde (110). However, a sudden collapse brought them down to 353/9. Hanuma then returned to the crease, with his left hand fully taped, and began tapping deliveries with only his right hand.
Along with number nine Lalith Mohan, Hanuma added 26 runs in a 10-over stand, before Andhra Pradesh was dismissed for 379. Vihari finished with a score of 27 runs off 57 balls, including two boundaries off of Avesh. At the end of the session, Mohan protected Hanuma’s wrist by keeping the strike.
In the current match, Madhya Pradesh is facing a target of 245 runs to win. Andhra Pradesh was dismissed for just 93 runs in their second innings, but Hanuma, despite his injury, came out to bat and scored 15 runs off 16 balls, including three boundaries. With a first-innings lead of 151 runs over Madhya Pradesh, these 93 runs brought the lead to 244 runs.
