"Not surprised, he didn't play the IPL so remained out of sight" - Sunil Gavaskar on Hanuma Vihari's exclusion from IND v NZ 2021 Test series

Unlike most in the cricket fraternity, Sunil Gavaskar was not surprised by Hanuma Vihari's exclusion from India's squad for the home Test series against New Zealand. The former captain argued on Saturday that since Vihari didn't feature in IPL 2021, he remained "out of sight and out of mind" of the national selectors.

Hanuma Vihari heroically helped India draw the Sydney Test in his last international appearance. He was the designated backup batter in the last couple of Test series, though didn't get any game time.

His snub caused a public furor because it was coincident with the inclusion of players like Shreyas Iyer and Jayant Yadav, who are talented but haven't played much red-ball cricket in years.

Weighing on the issue while speaking to Sports Today, Sunil Gavaskar said:

"I really was not surprised to be honest because he hasn't played any cricket in the interim. He hasn't played in the IPL so hasn't had any cricket under his belt in the last three or four months. On the other hand, the others who have been selected have had some cricket, not necessarily Test cricket, so maybe that's the reason why they came into the picture. Also, a lot of times we have seen over the years that the performances in the IPL have invariably been the ones that nudge the selection committee so that seems to have happened. Hanuma Vihari hasn't played a single IPL game so out of sight, out of mind."

Hanuma Vihari hasn't played in the IPL since 2019 when he represented the Delhi Capitals in two games. He has featured in 24 IPL games overall, scoring 284 runs at an average of 14.20. The 28-year-old went unsold in the 2020 auction.

"A big advantage for him" - Sunil Gavaskar on Hanuma Vihari's selection to India 'A' team

To make matters more intriguing, hours after the uproar over Hanuma Vihari's exclusion, the BCCI made him a late entrant of the India 'A' squad for a tour of South Africa.

The India 'A' team, which also includes Prithvi Shaw and Rahul Chahar, will compete with South Africa 'A' in three four-day matches from November 23 to December 9 in Bloemfontein.

Sunil Gavaskar called the India 'A' callup a "big advantage" for Hanuma Vihari, saying scoring runs in South Africa would keep the Andhra batter ready for an international comeback when India play the Proteas in a Test series in December.

Sunil Gavaskar said:

"I think if he's playing and scoring in the 'A' team, that's very good. He'll be playing in the same conditions, will get some match practice under his belt. He'll get a feel of the conditions, the pitch conditions, and everything. And therefore he'll be absolutely ready in case he's called for the Test team. So that's a big advantage for him going to South Africa with the 'A' team."

The India-New Zealand Tests will commence on November 25 and the South African tour will begin on December 17.