In my continuing campaign to trace the steep decline of Hyderabad cricket and explore ways to revive its past glory, this week I had the privilege of meeting one of the forgotten stalwarts of the game—Mahender Kumar. A prolific all-rounder of the 1960s, he belonged to that rare breed of cricketers who combined artistry with grit. Despite producing a mountain of runs, picking up crucial wickets, and displaying unmatched bravery in close-in fielding, he never quite got the recognition he deserved at the national stage.
Mahender Kumar’s career is a story of brilliance, bad timing, and, most importantly, the undercurrents of favouritism and politics that have haunted Hyderabad cricket for decades.
Born in 1939 in Bezawada—today’s Vijayawada—Mahender Kumar grew into a dependable middle-order batsman and a right-arm leg-spinner who could deceive the best with flight and guile. He began his first-class journey in 1960 with Hyderabad and quickly carved a reputation for himself as a cricketer for all situations. Whether it was anchoring the innings under pressure or breaking partnerships with his wrist spin, he became a key figure for the team until 1966.
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But his Hyderabad stint was short-lived. He was forced to shift allegiance to Andhra, thanks to what he bluntly calls “favouritism and envy” within the Hyderabad setup. At the center of this controversy, he recalls, was none other than the charismatic Hyderabad captain M. L. Jaisimha.
“I can understand Jai’s envy,” Mahender Kumar admits with disarming honesty. “There were times when my performances overshadowed his. I scored crucial runs, picked wickets, and sometimes caused embarrassment to his statistics. That didn’t sit well with him.”
It was a candid revelation—one that underscores how favouritism and selective amnesia have long been embedded in Hyderabad cricket. Nepotism, as it turns out, is not a modern phenomenon.
Had Mahender Kumar been born a decade later, he might have had a different fate. But in the 1960s, Indian spin was dominated by the legendary quartet—Prasanna, Chandrasekhar, Venkataraghavan, and Bishan Singh Bedi. Breaking into that constellation of stars was nearly impossible.
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Yet, many veterans believe Mahender Kumar brought something different to the table: his batting. While the quartet thrived with the ball, none could match Mahender Kumar’s ability to score runs consistently in the middle order. His bowling, too, was modelled on the classical lines of Prasanna, giving generous flight to lure batsmen into mistakes.
But selectors were unmoved. “Hemu Adhikari, the chief selector then, never backed me,” he recalls. “Though I was fortunate to have the support of Ghulam Ahmed, Sir, I never managed to break into the Indian team.”
Despite the snub, Mahender Kumar’s first-class record speaks volumes:
- Matches played: 70 (for Hyderabad and Andhra)
- Runs scored: 3,138
- Highest score: 205
- Batting average: 29.05
- Wickets taken: 191
- Best bowling: 8/45
- Five-wicket hauls: 12
His performances in zonal tournaments also underlined his consistency, though he often returned empty-handed in terms of wickets in those high-stakes encounters. Still, the sheer volume of his contributions put him in the bracket of India’s finest domestic all-rounders of his era.
Mahender Kumar does not mince words when talking about Hyderabad cricket. “Favouritism existed even then. Playing for the state team was itself considered a huge achievement. But what started as favouritism has, over the years, mutated into nepotism and now into a ‘pay-to-play’ culture,” he says, his voice tinged with disappointment.
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He cites the example of leaving Hyderabad to captain Andhra for six years, even as he continued to play Hyderabad league cricket for the star-studded State Bank of Hyderabad team, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Abid Ali.
Unlike many retired players who speak diplomatically, Mahender Kumar is bold. “I hear, like everyone else, that Hyderabad’s downfall began after former players themselves took control of administration. It is tragic. The same men who wore the state and country’s cap became more greedy once BCCI funds started flowing in. That hurts me as a former Hyderabad cricketer.”
Despite his bitterness, Mahender Kumar’s vision for revival is constructive. He believes selectors and coaches, once appointed, should work independently but also be held accountable. “If the team fails to reach finals, the selectors and coaches must answer, not the apex council,” he insists.
As a former selector and coach himself, he is confident about the abundance of talent across Telangana and Andhra. “But investment must go beyond the four walls of Greater Hyderabad. Infrastructure must reach small towns and districts,” he argues.
He also stresses the importance of reviving league cricket and traditional tournaments. “When I hear that school, college, and three- or four-day fixtures have disappeared, it saddens me. Where is the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup that once produced Test cricketers? Without these stepping stones, how can Hyderabad nurture future stars?”
In many ways, Mahender Kumar represents both the glory and the tragedy of Hyderabad cricket. A genuine all-rounder of world-class calibre, he was denied the chance to shine at the highest stage because of politics and timing. Yet, decades later, at 86, he still speaks with passion for the game and offers a roadmap for revival.
“Hyderabad cricket can be revived,” he concludes, “but only if stakeholders introspect and act with sincerity. The money is there. The talent is there. What is missing is the will and the vision.”
That, in essence, is the lesson from his life: brilliance alone is not enough. Fairness, accountability, and a nurturing ecosystem are just as important. And unless Hyderabad cricket embraces these, its decline will only deepen.
