Special Correspondent
Can we call it a good beginning for the Hyderabad T20 team in the BCCI tournament after their win over a ‘mediocre’ Odisha side? Perhaps. A victory is a victory, at the end of the day.
Yes, Hyderabad beat Odisha in their opener by five wickets. They restricted Odisha to 108 and chased down the target in 18.2 overs. Bowling first at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, Drithi claimed two wickets with her off-spin while conceding just 19 runs. The debutant, also part of the India U-19 team that won the Women’s U-19 World Cup earlier this year, complemented her bowling with two sharp catches. M. Sakshi Rao (2/18) and V. M. Kavya (2/24) also played crucial roles in holding Odisha to a modest 108 for 8 in 20 overs. Hyderabad crossed the line with an over and a half to spare, thanks largely to G. Trisha (35) and V. Prathiksha (20 n.o.).
Now that the Hyderabad women’s T20 squad has been finalized and the tournament is underway, let’s wish the selectors good luck — they’ll certainly need it, even with the team beginning on a promising note. Our e-paper, exercising monk-like restraint, chose not to launch another “missile” against the familiar irregularities, even though many in the cricketing fraternity urged us to. But when the whiff of manipulation is this strong, even silence smells complicit.
Yes, the signs are all too familiar — nepotism back in fashion, the “pay-to-play” culture breathing again, and power brokers from outside Hyderabad pulling invisible strings. The truncated HCA Apex Council, of course, watched this drama unfold like spectators at a match they already knew the result of.
We’ll admit — we chose not to question the selectors’ divine wisdom, at least for now. After all, every genuine lover of the game would like to give them a chance to prove their credentials before asking uncomfortable questions. To their credit, the state women’s teams did reasonably well over the last two seasons — largely thanks to the previous selection panel that valued performance over proximity.
Still, those who have served the game with sweat and sincerity find it hard to hide their dismay. One former selector, who once donned India colours but prefers anonymity, was blunt:
“D. Pranjal was nowhere in the age-group teams for years, yet suddenly finds herself in the senior squad. Strange, isn’t it? Looks fishy.”
And she didn’t stop there:
“Four pacers — Yashasri, Kranti, Srujana, and Srivalli. Four off-spinners — Driti, Vanka, Kavya, and Vaishnavi. Three leg-spinners — Trisha, G. Pratiksha, and Niteesha. One left-armer — Sakshi. And three wicketkeepers — Mamata, Pranjal, and Nidhi. Is this a cricket team or a bowling carnival? Where’s the balance?”
Meanwhile, messages have poured in from ex-players and fans alike, all pointing fingers at a familiar puppet master — a former official from a neighbouring Telugu state, notorious for his interference and unmatched networking skills. His alleged role in influencing selections this time has raised many eyebrows — including those of his former colleagues, who still call him “the worst power broker Indian cricket ever produced.”
Even the High Court-appointed Supervisory Committee, headed by Justice Naveen Rao, is said to be watching closely — monitoring, not intervening, at least for now.
For the moment, we’ll keep our pens capped and let the girls play. But if the team falters, as some former cricketers fear, the selectors may soon discover that even silence has a sound — and it echoes louder than applause.
