Dharam Guruva Reddy
He is a lone warrior. A Business Management postgraduate from Osmania University, he captained its cricket team in the All-India Inter-University tournament and also led Nizam College before moving on to play county cricket for Sussex in the UK. For nearly a decade now, he has waged relentless legal battles since returning from the US—after giving up a lucrative career—not for personal gain, but to secure justice for Telangana’s long-neglected cricketers. His fight is not against Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) being a full member of BCCI since 1933, but against its failure to represent the rest of Telangana’s districts, despite repeated court directives and BCCI’s own constitutional reforms. Financing the Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) largely through his own resources and a few good Samaritans, he has built an alternate platform that has nurtured talent beyond Hyderabad city. His name is Dharam Guruva Reddy—and through this weekly column, he will continue to shine a light on HCA’s misdeeds, the struggles of TCA, and the future of Telangana cricket. – EDITOR
Cricket in the region has long revolved around Hyderabad city. Since the 1933–34 season, the Hyderabad Cricket Association has enjoyed the privileged position of being a Full Member of the BCCI. For decades, Hyderabad produced stalwarts who went on to represent India—ML Jaisimha, Abbas Ali Baig, Mohammad Azharuddin, VVS Laxman, among others.
But this “glory” was deeply city-centric. Beyond Hyderabad’s borders, the rest of Telangana remained invisible. While players from the city were nurtured and promoted, talent from the districts was excluded, their aspirations stifled.
In the early 2000s, the HCA boasted 75 institutional clubs representing state, central government, and public sector undertakings. These clubs ensured jobs under sports quota, created genuine grassroots representation, and balanced voting rights. But this structure soon began to crumble.
From the early 2000s, HCA was no longer about cricket. A handful of former stars, politicians, and “sporting illiterates” hijacked the association. The body was reduced to a cash cow, milked for influence and personal gain.
Between 2001–2005, around 25 institutional clubs were illegally converted into private clubs. These are now controlled by a notorious “Dirty Dozen” who dictate terms inside HCA. Successive governments, instead of intervening, chose to patronize HCA leadership for political mileage. Complaints were buried. The rot deepened.
The BCCI Constitution is meant to be the “Bhagavad Geeta” for all state associations. It clearly defines membership categories:
- Full Member – jurisdictional authority, voting rights, representation in BCCI.
- Associate Member – limited rights, no vote (except in special cases).
- Affiliate Members and Future Members (abolished later).
While HCA held Full Membership, Telangana was identified among the six Future Members in BCCI’s 1961 amendments.
Later, following Justice R.M. Lodha Committee reforms (2014–15) during the landmark BCCI vs Bihar Cricket Association case, the Supreme Court merged all non-Full Members into a single Associate Member category. Telangana, by law, automatically became entitled to Associate Membership.
This meant that TCA, representing districts outside Hyderabad, could rightfully seek recognition. Yet, despite repeated court orders, BCCI hearings, and a growing mountain of evidence against HCA, the monopoly of Hyderabad city was never dismantled.
The Lodha reforms mandated governance, transparency, and compliance. HCA treated these as a joke.
- Justice Dave Committee (2017): Triggered an E&Y forensic audit, exposing massive financial indiscipline. Recommended CBI probe—suppressed.
- 2017–18: G. Vivek Venkataswamy’s committee promised reform, but instead quietly removed the “Associate Member” clause, tightening HCA’s grip.
- Proxy votes from government clubs were abused to rig elections.
The association, once proud of producing champions, has now become infamous for corruption and manipulation.
With the formation of Telangana State in 2014, the Telangana Cricket Association formally applied to the BCCI for recognition. But HCA fought tooth and nail to block it.
- Bombay High Court (2017–18): Directed BCCI to hear TCA’s application.
- Supreme Court: Permitted TCA to apply for Associate Membership.
- BCCI (2021): Directed HCA to collaborate with TCA and expand across Telangana within 6 months.
HCA ignored every single directive. Neither BCCI nor the State Government enforced compliance. The monopoly continued.
HCA’s scandals only multiplied:
- Justice L. Narasimha Reddy (Ombudsman, 2018): Suspended 34 members and 4 vendors, including senior officials. No reforms followed.
- 2019 Elections: Mohammad Azharuddin became HCA President, promising revival. Instead, corruption worsened.
- Selections for U-16 and U-19 teams allegedly sold for ₹15–50 lakh.
- Ranji team selection was inflated to 28 players, with similar allegations.
- Players’ match fees siphoned off.
- National rankings plummeted: Hyderabad fell to 27th place, below Tripura, barely above Nagaland.
The dream of Hyderabad cricket glory was replaced by the nightmare of scams.
With 120+ litigations and 3 ACB cases against HCA officials, one would expect decisive action. Instead, both BCCI and successive governments preferred the status quo.
Why? Because controlling HCA meant controlling votes, influence, and contracts. Neither cricket nor cricketers mattered. Telangana’s districts were left stranded—young boys and girls with dreams of playing at higher levels, crushed before they even had a chance.
HCA today stands crippled:
- Leaders trapped in corruption and litigation.
- Court orders ignored with impunity.
- 80% of Telangana deprived of cricket development.
The very game that gave Hyderabad its pride has been reduced to a private fiefdom.
If cricket in Telangana is to survive, urgent steps are non-negotiable:
- Immediate BCCI Action:
- Enforce Lodha reforms in letter and spirit.
- Recognize TCA as an Associate/Full Member representing districts outside Hyderabad.
- Independent Oversight:
- Appoint an Administrator/Ombudsman with judicial powers.
- Order a CBI/ED probe into HCA’s financial crimes.
- Government Intervention:
- Ensure district-level cricket under a transparent framework.
- Recover misused funds and enforce accountability.
The story of Telangana cricket is not just about sport. It is about justice denied for nearly a century. It is about systemic corruption, betrayal of players, and the complete failure of institutions.
As the complainant in the ongoing CID case (FIR no.02/2025), I am also actively assisting in the recent CID arrests of HCA office-bearers, providing additional information to authorities to strengthen the investigations. I strongly believe this is already helping to expose the rot within the HCA, which has been a Nationwide Discission point, expecting it would compel the BCCI to finally take punitive action against an association that has long siphoned funds meant to promote the game across the state. Unless the CID cracks the whip by challenging bail applications and takes up all pending criminal cases under its investigation control to prosecute guilty HCA officials where prima facie evidence exists, the BCCI will remain reluctant to act.
Currently, demands are overwhelmingly pouring in, for BCCI steps in by appointing a three- or five-member committee—including one of its officials, a Supreme Court judge, and a TCA representative—to clean up the HCA administration and put it back on track.
In the same breath, I feel the BCCI has three clear options: a) Restructure and appoint a state-level body in the lines of Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, b) enforce its 11 July 2021 order mandating collaboration between the TCA and HCA, C) cleanup HCA and confine it to Hyderabad City and Recognise TCA (outside Hyderabad City) covering all districts of Telangana.
So, it is inevitable that the BCCI and the State Government act decisively, otherwise, the Cricket in Telangana risks a permanent damage. The districts deserve a fair platform—not mere crumbs from Hyderabad’s table.
The question now remains: Will cricket be returned to the people of Telangana, or will HCA’s “cash cow” syndicate continue to milk the future dry? (The author is Secretary, Telangana Cricket Association)
