India all-rounder Hanuma Vihari hopes to play county cricket after 'unavoidable' coronavirus pandemic

Hanuma Vihari revealed that he was all set to spend his summer playing county cricket on English soil until the coronavirus outbreak has led to the suspension of all sporting activity rendered that impossible.

A number of top Indian names such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have travelled to England to refine their trade when not representing the country. A potential deal for Vihari will now have to wait until the dust settles down with regard to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The 26-year-old opened up on the situation saying,

"I was supposed to play four English county games this season. I would only be able to tell you the name when all the paperwork is complete. Right now, it's on hold due to the unavoidable situation (COVID-19)."

The Andhra native has slowly worked towards becoming a dependable player in Tests for India and an opportunity to hone his skills on English soil could have helped Vihari further enhance his growing reputation.

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There is, however, some amount of hope as Vihari could still potentially participate in country cricket between April and September, should the coronavirus spread subside by that point. The Kakinada-born all-rounder said,

"Hope once it's under control, I will be able to play those games. It will be a learning experience for me."