Is runner allowed in cricket: Why isn’t Hanuma Vihari opting for a runner in Sydney Test?

Why isn’t Hanuma Vihari opting for a runner: The Indian batsman is continuing to run himself despite an injured hamstring.

India batsman Hanuma Vihari has allured a fair amount of appreciation for wanting to save a Test match despite hurting his hamstring in a bid to sneak a single early on in his innings.

With India already losing half their side and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also injured, the option of Vihari retiring and walking back to the pavilion wouldn’t have been the smartest of decisions for it would have exposed the Indian tail at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

While an injured batsman opting for a runner was a common practice back in the day, Vihari not doing the same has confused millions of Indian fans back home.

Why isn’t Hanuma Vihari opting for a runner in Sydney Test?

It is worth mentioning that the choice of opting for a runner was taken away from the modern-day batsmen almost a decade ago in 2011. The same was among the many rule changes which had been enforced by the International Cricket Council.

In addition to some captains questioning the intention behind opting for a runner at that time, the runner was abolished after multiple cases of batsmen taking undue advantage of the rule.

Have said it before , will say it again – the no runner rule is absolute rubbish! This could be a match winning / career saving innings for vihari and he nearly got run out because he was hampered in his running due to an injury . He can get a substitute fielder but not a runner

— Rohan Gavaskar (@rohangava9) January 11, 2021

If a batsman needs a runner, he retires hurt and returns after the fall of the 9th wicket like we do in domestic cricket. I think that’s a pretty fair law for international cricket to take on.

— Usman Khawaja (@Uz_Khawaja) January 11, 2021

It is due to the same reason that Vihari will have to run on his own in the last session of the Sydney Test. The only other available option for the 27-year old player lies in retiring hurt and coming back at a later stage. That being said, it is unlikely that Vihari will opt for the same due to the aforementioned reasons.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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