By Vinay Rao
The recently concluded Hyderabad Cricket Association One-Day Knockout Championship didn’t whisper its message—it thundered it. On pitches where pressure separated pretenders from performers, the tournament laid bare a truth Hyderabad cricket has long tried to dodge: merit is thriving in the leagues, but suffocating at the state level.
At a time when the Hyderabad senior side looks short on balance, power, and match-winners—particularly in white-ball cricket—the knockout championship showcased exactly what the state team is missing. And at the heart of it all stood one name: Rishiket Sisodia.
The Big Matches That Left No Room for Excuses
FINAL
Deccan Wanderers vs Cambridge
- Cambridge: 130 all out
Rishiket Sisodia: 3 wickets - Deccan Wanderers: 134/1 in 9.2 overs
Rishiket Sisodia: 115 (42 balls, 11 fours, 10 sixes)
A final in name only. Rishiket first ripped through Cambridge with the ball and then obliterated the chase almost single-handedly, sealing the title in under ten overs. Few finals in recent memory have been this one-sided—or this emphatic.
SEMIFINAL
Deccan Wanderers vs Sporting XI
- Sporting XI: 282 all out
Jasmeet: 152 (98 balls, 13 fours, 10 sixes)
Shaikh Sohail: 53 (69)
Tejavath Harish: 3 wickets
Ashish Srivastava: 2 wickets - Deccan Wanderers: 283/2 in 38.4 overs
Rishiket Sisodia: 161 (89 balls, 15 fours, 11 sixes)
Nitish Reddy: 52 (66)
This was knockout cricket at its fiercest. A high-pressure chase of 283, and Rishiket responded with a 161 of brutal clarity, while Jasmeet’s 152 earlier had already raised the bar. These were not cosmetic hundreds—these were innings forged under elimination pressure.
OTHER SEMIFINAL
EMCC vs Cambridge
- EMCC: 290/7
C.P. Venkatesh: 126 (122)
Rohit Reddy: 55 (69) - Cambridge: 293/1 in 44.1 overs
N. Rakesh: 116* (125)
Shashank Lokesh: 103 (90)
Dheeraj Goud: 62 (51)
Run-fests, yes—but also proof of the batting depth thriving outside the state setup.
Rishiket Sisodia: Impact Too Loud to Ignore
Rishiket didn’t just score runs—he dictated outcomes. Batting through the tournament at a strike rate well north of 200, he combined explosive power with control, backed by effective leg-spin and sharp fielding.
And yet, his Hyderabad journey remains a case study in inconsistency. Picked for one Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy game against Chandigarh, then promptly dropped—no run, no rope, no trust.
Selection without continuity is not opportunity. It is tokenism.
Jasmeet: Brilliance Without Security
Jasmeet’s story mirrors the same dysfunction. Strong league performances. A match-defining 152 in a knockout semifinal. Selection—and then silence.
A hundred under knockout pressure should cement a place, not leave a career hanging in administrative limbo.
Ashish Srivastava: The Leg-Spinner Hyderabad Refuses to Back
Ashish Srivastava has been one of Hyderabad’s most consistent leg-spinners across leagues for years. Results follow him. So do wickets.
Yet, during the Buchi Babu Tournament, played on rank turners tailor-made for leg-spin, Ashish did not get a single game. Soon after, he was dropped from the Ranji squad—without any visible cricketing justification.
The uncomfortable question must be asked:
Does Hyderabad believe only left-arm spin can win matches?
If so, it reflects a dangerous lack of balance and imagination, especially in Indian conditions where quality leg-spin has historically turned games—and careers.
The Bigger Malaise: Domicile and Age as Convenient Weapons
Beyond individual injustices lies a systemic rot. Domicile and age-verification rules appear to be enforced selectively—resurrected when convenient, buried when not.
In recent years, multiple players have faced bans, only to receive court relief due to:
- Procedural lapses,
- Absence of due process, or
- HCA’s failure to defend its own decisions.
This revolving door of uncertainty destroys careers and credibility alike.
What Must Change—Now
- Transparent, time-bound verification before naming probables.
- Clear documentation with finality once cleared.
- No reopening of settled cases as tools of exclusion.
- Protection for players from arbitrary targeting and harassment.
Let the Scorecards Speak
Rishiket Sisodia. Jasmeet. Ashish Srivastava.
They have delivered under pressure, across seasons, and in knockout cricket—the purest examination of temperament.
If Hyderabad cricket is serious about reclaiming relevance and respect, selection must follow performance—not politics, convenience, or bias.
The knockout tournament has already passed judgment.
The only question now is whether those in charge are listening—or still looking the other way.
