Ranji Trophy: Vihari quits as Andhra skipper

India player Hanuma Vihari will not be leading Andhra in the ongoing Ranji Trophy after having stepped down from captaincy on Thursday.

On Friday, during Andhra's Group B match against Mumbai, Ricky Bhui was leading the side.

According to media reports, Vihari's decision was personal and he wanted to focus on his batting.

Vihari managed 51 runs in the opening game against Bengal, which ended in a draw.

Interestingly, eager to play under domestic coach Chandrakant Pandit to revive his international career, Vihari was mulling a move to Madhya Pradesh before the start of the season.

Vihari has represented India in 16 Tests so far, scoring 839 runs at an average of 33.56, including a ton and five half-centuries, with a top score of 111 against the West Indies in Kingston in 2019.

Having made his Test debut at The Oval in 2018, his last outing also in England, in Birmingham 2022.

As far as Bhui is concerned, he had scored 175, his 15th first-class hundred, in the match against Bengal.

Appearing in his 11th season with Andhra, Bhui's marathon knock helped his team get a 36-run lead over Bengal and begin the tournament on a positive note.