Our Sports Desk
Hyderabad: The Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) has launched a stinging critique against the leadership of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA)—specifically Secretary Jeevan Reddy, Media-in-Charge T. Seshanarayan, and CEO Imtiaz Khan.
In a detailed rebuttal on Thursday, TCA General Secretary Dharam Guruva Reddy challenged the HCA on several fronts, alleging governance failures, territorial overreach, unethical practices, and systematic marginalization of rural and district cricketing talent.
The BCCI AGM Attendance Controversy
Guruva Reddy characterized the HCA Secretary’s assertion of representing the body at the 95th BCCI Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 18 as the “crudest joke of the decade.” He highlighted that the HCA had been excluded from the final electoral rolls published by the BCCI Electoral Officer, making any claim of official participation legally dubious.
The TCA has demanded documented proof detailing:
- The specific constitutional rules under which the BCCI permitted HCA’s attendance.
- Official confirmation on whether the Secretary cast a vote during the proceedings.
- Comprehensive verification via official BCCI electoral rolls, attendance registers, meeting minutes, and venue CCTV footage.
Guruva Reddy noted that a photograph with a senior BCCI official does not constitute valid proof of legal participation in executive proceedings.
Constitutional Violations and Governance Lapses
The TCA asserted that despite claiming to promote cricket across the entire state, the body remains registered strictly as a city-centric entity: the Hyderabad Cricket Association. Its attempted territorial expansion beyond Hyderabad is currently subject to legal challenges before courts and competent authorities.
The TCA argued that HCA has consistently failed in its duties as a State-level Full Member. To support these allegations, Guruva Reddy cited a long list of legal directives, panel reports, and court decisions:
- BCCI Directives: BCCI CoA order (June 2018) and BCCI order (July 11, 2021).
- Judicial Orders & Reports: Telangana High Court orders (November 2022), Bombay High Court orders (March 21, 2025, and January 27, 2026), alongside the Justice Dave, Justice N.A. Kakru, and Justice L. Nageswara Rao committee reports.
Furthermore, HCA has failed to qualify for annual BCCI grants since 2017 due to non-compliance, forcing the BCCI to cover specific invoices directly. The TCA has formally sought HCA’s demotion to Associate Membership or complete derecognition for persistent non-compliance with Rules 3, 23, 26, 28, 30, 37, and 38. Guruva Reddy added that the association’s administrative record is further stained by ongoing criminal investigations by the CID, pending ACB and ED cases, and an unreleased Vigilance & Enforcement report.
Egregious Selection Biases and District Discrimination
The TCA produced statistical records to refute HCA’s claims of delivering fair opportunities to district players, demonstrating that top-performing rural talent continues to be bypassed for urban contenders in State U-19 and Ranji Trophy squads.
Snubbed District Talent
Several women players with stellar performance metrics were passed over for selection:
- D. Sri Sahasra Raj (Warangal): 91 runs, 5 wickets
- T. Jahnavi (Mahabubnagar): 7 wickets
- N. Thanu Sri (Warangal): 7 wickets
- Rukshar (Nalgonda): 75 runs, 8 wickets
- Kota Sahasra (Medak): 100 runs
- Prasanna (Karimnagar): 62 runs, 4 wickets
Selected Fast Bowlers’ Season Records
In contrast, the TCA highlighted the statistics of four fast bowlers selected for the HCA squad:
- Rohan Boppana: 12 total wickets, 232 runs (including 0 wickets from 5 selection matches, did not bowl; missed Two-Day League due to injury).
- Dev M. Mehta: 22 total wickets, 104 runs across T20, Two-Day League, Selections, Super League, and Bengal matches.
- Parth Sharma: 28 total wickets, 56 runs across all seasonal formats.
- Uzair Ahmed: 11 total wickets, 179 runs (including 0 wickets from 28 balls in selection matches before injury).
Excluded High Performer
The TCA contrasted these picks with Nippun Reddy—a key figure in the Vinod Mankad Under-19 One-Day 2025 championship—who was left out despite taking 33 season wickets (5 in HCA League, 14 in U-19 Super 12, 9 in U-19 Super 6, and 5 against Bengal).
Guruva Reddy criticized the lack of transparency, asking whether selections were made on genuine merit or arbitrary formulas. He questioned Ambati Rayudu’s proposed formula of automatic selection based on prior-year performance, pointing out that it unfairly penalizes standout performers in current-season leagues.
Demands for Transparency and Structural Reform
Dismissing HCA’s public statements about operating “across Telangana,” Guruva Reddy accused the association of “crushing Telangana” by overstepping its jurisdiction as a city-based body dominated by private urban clubs. He dismissed recent announcements of large-scale infrastructure projects as unverified diversions that cannot replace institutional accountability.
The TCA demanded:
- A comprehensive compliance and financial audit report for the TG20 tournament under Rule 37, covering its execution, revenues, and expenditures.
- A full formal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the HCA Secretary’s alleged attendance and voting actions at the BCCI AGM.
The TCA reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing structural reform, institutional recognition, and constitutional justice to establish a transparent, merit-based ecosystem for all cricketers across Telangana’s districts.
