Hyderabad: The Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) on Saturday said it has made a strategic legal move to press its long-standing claim for Full Membership of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), even as the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) continues to oppose the expansion of organised cricket across Telangana.
In a strongly worded statement, TCA General Secretary Dharam Guruva Reddy said the cricket administration in Telangana continues to suffer from what he described as a fundamental structural anomaly—the dominance of a city-centric association over the State’s Full Membership, leaving the interests and aspirations of cricketers from the districts inadequately represented.
“The landscape of cricket administration in Telangana has been marked by a glaring imbalance. A city-based association continues to exercise control over the State’s Full Membership, while thousands of talented youngsters from 32 districts have been denied the opportunity to develop through an inclusive State-wide cricket structure,” he said.
Guruva Reddy said TCA has now shifted its strategy by placing its claim for Full Membership directly before the Bombay High Court, besides submitting a detailed representation before the BCCI leadership and the BCCI Ombudsman on September 7, 2026.
According to him, the central issue has to be examined in the context of the Supreme Court’s directions on cricket administration and the reformed BCCI Constitution following the recommendations of the Justice R.M. Lodha Committee.
“The principle of One State–One Full Member has to be viewed in the context of territorial representation, transparency, accountability and development of cricket at the grassroots. TCA believes that the existing arrangement in Telangana deserves a fresh examination against these constitutional principles,” he said.
Mr. Guruva Reddy said TCA’s legal position is supported by several issues that, in its view, warrant serious scrutiny, including the financial and administrative record of the HCA.
He referred to provisions of the BCCI Constitution concerning continued entitlement to grants and recognition, and claimed that the HCA’s financial position and compliance record have been the subject of scrutiny, including audit-related proceedings and concerns over its accounts.
“TCA is not seeking recognition merely for an institutional advantage. We are asking a fundamental question: can an association continue to enjoy State-level privileges when serious questions have repeatedly arisen over its financial compliance, governance and administration?” he said.
The TCA General Secretary also referred to criminal proceedings involving HCA office-bearers and judicial interventions concerning the administration of the association. He said these developments, along with continuing litigation, demonstrated the need for an objective review of the existing governance structure.
He further alleged that the March 2026 HCA elections raised questions relating to club eligibility, representation and the participation of clubs whose status had previously been questioned. TCA, he said, has placed these issues before the appropriate judicial and regulatory authorities for examination.
Guruva Reddy said TCA has also approached the BCCI Ombudsman and Ethics Officer on issues concerning district cricket and alleged violations of BCCI regulations.
“For more than a decade, TCA has worked to develop cricket outside Hyderabad, particularly in the districts, without receiving the institutional support that a State-wide cricket body should ideally receive. Thousands of youngsters have been given opportunities despite these limitations,” he said.
He alleged that the absence of a genuinely inclusive State-wide structure had allowed the district cricket ecosystem to remain fragmented, while initiatives such as commercial franchise leagues had raised questions about regulatory compliance and the interests of grassroots cricket.
“The issue before the authorities is not about personalities or individual office-bearers. It is about the future of Telangana cricket. The district cricketer from Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam or any other part of Telangana deserves the same institutional opportunity as a youngster from Hyderabad,” he said.
Guruva Reddy said TCA would continue pursuing its legal and regulatory remedies before the competent forums.
“Our objective is clear: transparency, accountability, merit and genuine grassroots development. TCA believes that Telangana cricket requires a State-wide structure that represents all districts and provides young cricketers a fair pathway to the highest levels,” he said.
“The legal chessboard has changed. We have placed our claim before the appropriate forums and will allow the courts and competent authorities to decide the issues. Our fight is ultimately for the future of Telangana cricket and for the thousands of young cricketers whose voices deserve to be heard,” Guruva Reddy added.
