Hanuma Vihari to move from Andhra to Madhya Pradesh for Domestic season 2023-24 - Reports

Hanuma Vihari had begun his First Class cricket career in 2010 for Hyderabad.

Ace batter Hanuma Vihari is reportedly moving teams for the upcoming Indian domestic cricket season in 2023-24 as he has requested No-Objection Certificate from Andhra, his state team to move to Madhya Pradesh.

Hanuma Vihari had completed the 2022-23 season for Andhra in his second stint with the side. The 29-year-old had previously represented the team between the 2016-17 and 2020-21 seasons.

Vihari began his First-Class career with Hyderabad in 2010 and played for the side until the 2015-16 season and later returned to the side for a solitary year in the 2021-22 season.

“Yes, he (Vihari) has applied for NOC (No Objection Certificate) to make the move. Discussions took place last evening. The Apex Council has yet to approve the decision”, a senior Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) member told  Sportstar on Tuesday.

In January at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, the India Test player last played for Andhra against Madhya Pradesh in a First-Class match.

The right-handed Vihari bravely returned to the batting tee after suffering a forearm fracture off a bouncer from his soon-to-be teammate Avesh Khan. He took a left-handed guard. Chandrakant Pandit, the seasoned coach of Madhya Pradesh, also praised Vihari's work.

Madhya Pradesh also targeting left-arm pacer T Natarajan

Apart from bringing in Hanuma Vihari, the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association is also eyeing bringing in T Natarajan, the left-arm pacer who represents Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket at present.

Natarajan hasn't appeared in an FC game since India's historic victory over Australia in Brisbane in January 2021, when he played one Test for India. The 32-year-old's last appearance was a Syed Mushtaq Ali match in October 2022, and he hasn't participated in a domestic FC or List A game for Tamil Nadu since 2019–20.

“Most probably he (Vihari) will play for MP. We have been looking for a batter, a left-arm spinner, and a left-arm pacer for the season. Anukul Roy (Jharkhand) is on the radar. T. Natarajan (Tamil Nadu) and Kulwant Khejroliya (Delhi) are also being looked at,” a Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) official confirmed to Sportstar.