Special Correspondent
The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) finds itself embroiled in yet another controversy—this time not merely administrative, but constitutional and judicial in nature.
At the centre of the storm is its decision to proceed with the “Kaka Venkata Swamy Memorial Inter-District T20 League” despite a pending legal challenge, explicit objections from the Telangana Cricket Association (TCA), and binding directions from both courts and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
TCA General Secretary Guruva Reddy Dharam, in a statement, said: “The issue is not merely about a tournament. It is about wilful disobedience of judicial orders, blatant conflict of interest, and a brazen disregard for cricket governance norms.”
The Telangana Cricket Association, which is waging a legal battle for Associate Membership of the BCCI, had approached the court asserting that district-level cricket in Telangana falls within its jurisdiction—particularly in light of BCCI directives instructing HCA to work in tandem with TCA to promote the game beyond Hyderabad. While this petition remains pending, HCA chose to go ahead and organise a statewide T20 competition, effectively pre-empting the court’s decision.
The obvious question arises: why did HCA proceed when the matter is sub judice?
TCA has now escalated the issue, alleging contempt of court and arguing that HCA is attempting to bulldoze its authority into district cricket by exploiting its historical status and political influence—despite clear BCCI instructions to consult, collaborate, and comply.
Violation of Conflict-of-Interest Rules
At the heart of the controversy lies BCCI Rule 38, which governs conflict of interest. Clauses (i), (iii) and (iv) explicitly bar individuals with commercial, familial, or managerial interests from influencing cricketing decisions. These provisions flow directly from the Justice R.M. Lodha Committee reforms, which categorically prohibit ministers, serving public officials, and conflicted individuals from participating—directly or indirectly—in cricket administration or leagues under BCCI member associations.
These principles have been further reinforced by:
- BCCI’s binding order dated 11 July 2021
- The Bombay High Court judgment dated 21 March 2025
- The Telangana High Court’s interim directions (2022) barring ministers and serving officials from sports bodies
- The newly enacted National Sports Governance Act, 2025, mandating uniform compliance with governance codes across all sporting bodies
Yet, all these safeguards appear to have been brazenly ignored.
The Vishaka Industries Shadow
What makes this episode deeply troubling is the direct involvement of individuals linked to Vishaka Industries, a company previously locked in a major financial dispute with HCA. During the tenure of Shri G. Vivekanand as Director/Managing Director of Vishaka Industries, a serious dispute arose, culminating in the Hyderabad High Court directing HCA to pay approximately ₹67 crore, including penalties.
That amount remains unpaid.
As a consequence:
- HCA’s bank accounts were frozen and attached
- Investigations were initiated by the CID, ACB, and Enforcement Directorate
- HCA officials were arrested, as detailed in CID remand reports
In this backdrop, allowing the same family or associated group to sponsor, influence, or control a major HCA tournament is not merely ethically questionable—it is legally indefensible.
BCCI Norms Openly Defied
The league also violates clear BCCI operational norms:
- Any T20 league requires prior BCCI approval at least 45 days in advance
- State associations are prohibited from conducting T20 leagues between 15 September and the end of February
- No such approval has been obtained from the BCCI or the IPL Governing Council
Equally alarming is the fact that over 22,000 registered TCA players across Telangana have been completely sidelined, exposing the hollowness of claims that the league exists to promote grassroots cricket.
Instead, critics argue, HCA has effectively handed over control to a single influential family, reducing the association to a shell entity used to legitimise private interests.
A Pattern, Not an Exception
This is not an isolated lapse. It fits a long-standing pattern in which court orders are ignored, governance reforms diluted, and cricket administration treated as personal property. As TCA rightly argues, the proposed tournament is illegal, unauthorised, constitutionally impermissible, and in continuing contempt of judicial and BCCI directives.
Unless regulators act decisively, the message will be unmistakable: in Telangana cricket, power overrides law—and cricket itself becomes collateral damage.
The question now is not whether HCA has crossed the line, but how long institutions will allow it to do so with impunity.
