Ranji Trophy: Hanuma Vihari's 141 rescues Tripura against Bengal
What's the story
In a gripping encounter, Hanuma Vihari's stellar century helped Tripura recover from a precarious position against Bengal in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. The match is being played at the Maharaja Bir Bikram Stadium. Vihari ended up scoring 141 as his team went past Bengal's first-innings total of 336/10 to take the lead in the game. This was his 25th hundred in First-Class cricket. Here are his stats.
Match dynamics
Vihari makes utilization of the lifeline
Vihari shared vital partnerships with Sentu Sarkar, Vijay Shankar, and Manisankar Murasingh. These alliances helped Tripura recover from a dire situation where they were struggling at 53/5. During Tripura's innings, Abishek Porel dropped Vihari twice behind the stumps. Vihari completed his hundred on Day 3 evening and returned unbeaten on 121. He scored 20 more runs on the final day before falling to Ishan Porel.
Stats
25th hundred in FC cricket
Vihari hammered 19 fours and a six en route to his 253-ball 141. Playing his 134th First-Class match as per ESPNcricinfo, Vihari has raced to 9,782 runs at an average of around 49. Besides 25 tons, he has scored 51 fifties as well with his best score being 302*. Notably, his previous scores this season were paltry - 16, 7, 33, and 0.
Test career
Vihari last played Test for India in 2022
Vihari had earlier emerged as Team India's mainstay middle-order batter under Virat Kohli. However, fitness issues and inconsistency ruled him out. The batter last played a Test match for India in July 2022. He owns 839 runs from 16 Tests at an average of 33.56. He scored an away hundred against West Indies in 2019.
Move
Maiden season with Tripura
Meanwhile, the ongoing Ranji Trophy marked Vihari's maiden season with Tripura. He made the move after the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has issued him a no-objection certificate (NOC). Vihari revealed his decision to join Tripura was motivated by his hunger to play all formats of the game, something he felt Andhra couldn't guarantee. Notably, he had publicly criticized the ACA for "humiliating and embarrassing" him after their 2023/24 Ranji Trophy campaign.