Crushing the pain barrier to save a Test match is no small feat but for Hanuma Vihari, the biggest satisfaction these days comes from being able to arrange a hospital bed or oxygen cylinders for desperate Covid-19 patients through a network of friends.
Vihari, while being in the UK for his county stint with Warwickshire, has used his Twitter handle to amplify appeals for help. He has also created a team of 100 volunteers, comprising friends and followers.
“I don’t want to glorify myself. I am doing it with the intention of helping people at the ground level. It is just the start,” the 27-year-old said.
“With the second wave being so strong, getting a bed became a difficulty and that is something which is unthinkable.
“So I decided to use my followers as my volunteers and help as many people as I can,” Vihari, who has more than 110,000 followers on social media, said.