Hanuma Vihari Receives NOC From Andhra Cricket Association Following TDP's Electoral Win

Hanuma Vihari, who had been waiting for his No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) for the past two months, criticised the board for issuing the letter immediately after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) secured a landslide victory in the state elections.

A controversy erupted earlier when Vihari alleged that he was removed from the Andhra captaincy due to political pressure. In an Instagram post in March, Vihari claimed he was forced to step down after reprimanding a player whose father is a politician. He accused ACA of disrespecting his contributions and vowed never to play for Andhra Pradesh again.

The India international promptly requested a NOC and expressed his intention to join a different domestic team. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo in March, he also denied reports that he had not responded to a show-cause notice from the state board.

On Tuesday, June 4, the 30-year-old finally received his NOC—the same day TDP won with a significant margin in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly Elections 2024. TDP and its alliance partners BJP and Jana Sena Party are leading in over 150 out of the 175 assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh.

The ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), led by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, has been reduced to 12 seats. TDP (16), BJP (3), and JNP (3) have also combined forces to win nearly 23 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats available in Andhra Pradesh.

Vihari took to X to congratulate TDP and JNP before sharing a screenshot of his NOC. "I have been asking for NOC for 2 months, mailed them 4 times. Didn't give my NOC. Now that things have turned, they've issued my NOC immediately. lol," Vihari wrote alongside the screenshot of his NOC dated June 3, 2024.

Letter mida yesterday’s date, mail was sent today! ???????????? https://t.co/vE0bk2vgSY?utm_source=DH-MoreFromPub&utm_medium=DH-app&utm_campaign=DH pic.twitter.com/vmS2NcoFWV

Hanuma vihari (@Hanumavihari) June 4, 2024

"Letter date was yesterday's mail was sent after result!" Vihari added. The NOC was sent to Hanuma Vihari via email at 3:16 PM on Wednesday from ACA secretary Gopinath Reddy.