India Test batter Hanuma Vihari will turn out for Tripura in the 2025-26 domestic season, having secured a one-year deal as one of the state’s three permitted professional players. The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has issued the required no-objection certificate, clearing the way for his switch.
The arrangement, understood to be for a single season with an option to extend, follows Vihari’s Player-of-the-Tournament showing in the recent Andhra Premier League. He hopes the move will reopen doors across formats.
“I was keen on other opportunities since I believe I’m good enough to play all three formats,” Vihari told ESPNcricinfo. “Andhra made it clear they were looking at youngsters for the T20 format. That was why I decided it didn’t make sense playing even the 50-over format, so I sat out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well. I also wanted to play in a new environment.”
Why Tripura?
Tripura approached the 31-year-old soon after last season, pitching a role that combines top-order stability with mentoring responsibilities. While the captaincy remains undecided, state officials confirm he will sit in the core leadership group.
“For the last two seasons, I’d been talking of going out… but I stayed back,” Vihari said of earlier interest from Madhya Pradesh. “I felt given the circumstances around me, and also where my own cricket is at, this was the best time to sign with an upcoming team. This year they approached me first, and I felt it’ll be a challenge worth taking up.”
Recent turbulence with Andhra
The decision ends an uneasy spell with his home association. A public disagreement after Andhra’s 2023-24 Ranji Trophy campaign left Vihari “humiliated and embarrassed”. He stepped down as captain, citing “political interference” inside the ACA. Ahead of 2024-25 he briefly reopened talks with Madhya Pradesh, only to remain with Andhra after intervention from local politician Nara Lokesh. That U-turn irritated the MP camp and did little to calm relations in his own state.
Tripura see the change as mutually beneficial. The north-eastern side, traditionally lower-table in the Elite groups, wants an experienced run-scorer to guide a young squad. Vihari, whose last Test came in 2022, is equally keen to keep his game multi-dimensional.
“As a senior player, I’ll contribute whatever the team expects of me, from a leadership standpoint whether I’m captain or not,” he said. “They’ve got some decent players. I wanted to play in a team where I can build [the squad], and be part of a setup that is hungry to challenge the bigger teams.”
International hopes on hold, but not forgotten
While a Test recall is distant, the right-hander insists his motivation is undimmed. In recent months he has dabbled in regional commentary and assisted coaching staff in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, experiences that have sharpened his perspective rather than dulled ambition.
“My challenge is to take the team through,” he explained. “After 14-15 years of first-class cricket, I’ve certainly got that experience that I want to pass on. But I’m not thinking of a comeback just yet. It’s too far away. I want to score runs, important runs and then take the team through. More than anything, I just want to enjoy my cricket and score lots of runs.”
What Tripura stand to gain
Tripura’s batting has relied largely on local talent, with occasional help from out-of-state recruits such as Sudip Chatterjee and Wriddhiman Saha in the past. Vihari’s methodical approach and calm dressing-room presence could stabilise a line-up prone to collapses on livelier pitches. His experience in high-pressure situations, including a memorable match-saving partnership at Sydney in 2021 while nursing a torn hamstring, offers intangible value.
Next steps
Registration paperwork must reach the BCCI before the inter-state transfer window closes in mid-September. Pre-season camps in Agartala are pencilled for early October, with Vihari expected to join once his personal training block in Hyderabad concludes.
If the partnership clicks, an extension appears likely; if not, both parties can walk away next April. For now, a player still convinced he is “good enough to play all three formats” has a new canvas on which to prove it.
