'Still good enough to play all three formats' - Vihari after signing with Tripura for 2025-26 season

India batter Hanuma Vihari has signed with Tripura as one of their three professionals ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season. Vihari, who finished as Player of the Tournament at the recently concluded Andhra Premier League, has been granted a no-objection certificate (NOC) by the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA).

ESPNcricinfo understands Vihari's contract is for a season to begin with, and is extendable by mutual consent. It's a decision, he says, that stemmed from a desire to play all formats, something Andhra couldn't promise him.

"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."

Vihari's signing marks closure to a slightly tumultuous past few years with Andhra. A full-blown public spat after their 2023-24 Ranji campaign had left him "humiliated and embarrassed" at the treatment meted out to him by certain factions within the ACA. At the time, Vihari alleged "political interference" as one of the reasons for him stepping down as captain at the start of that season.

Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Vihari was in talks to move to Madhya Pradesh (for a second year in a row) but was talked out of it by Nara Lokesh, general secretary of Andhra's ruling party, TDP. Vihari's u-turn had left the MPCA upset.

"For the last two seasons, I'd been talking of going out [he'd been in talks with Madhya Pradesh], but I stayed back," Vihari said of the previous season. "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."

Vihari hasn't been guaranteed leadership just yet, but he's likely to be a key member of the leadership group. "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."

It's been three years since Vihari played a Test, but he believes he's still got the hunger to score runs "by the truckloads" without wanting to think of the prospect of a comeback.

In the time away, he pivoted to regional commentary and coaching [he was part of Madurai Panthers in TNPL 2024]. As he moves states in search of new direction, Vihari wants to keep things simple and not think of a comeback just yet, like Karun Nair achieved after barging the door down in domestic cricket.

"My challenge is to take the team through. 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."