Special Reports
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi quipped that India’s “Operation Sindoor” was successful not just on the battlefield but also on the cricket field, he wasn’t exaggerating. Three back-to-back thrashings of Pakistan in the Asia Cup—what better proof that India is scripting a new chapter in world T20 cricket? For once, let’s silence the chorus of…
The election of a new BCCI body is being hailed as a fresh dawn for Indian cricket. But if it is truly a dawn, then why must Telangana continue to remain in darkness? For decades, four crore people of this state have been denied their rightful place in Indian cricket. As Secretary of the Telangana…
Special Correspondent Even as the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) remains entangled in multiple legal battles and under the watch of a court-appointed administrator, a section of its truncated apex council appears unwilling to learn from past controversies. According to insiders, HCA Joint Secretary Basavaraju is reportedly pushing for a grandiose multi-level parking facility at the…
Rules Never Made, Inquiries Never Done When this series began, we exposed how Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) was converted into a private fiefdom — funds diverted, selections rigged, and cricketing facilities left to rot. But if one thought that was the worst of it, the next layer of rot lies in something even more fundamental:…
Born on 27 February 1929 in Uberaba, Brazil, Santos was a defender who played at the right back position. Djalmo Pereira Dias dos Santos began his professional journey with humble origins, initially playing as a centre-half for Internacional, a small provincial club in São Paulo. His exceptional performances quickly caught the attention of Brazil’s biggest…
MS Shanker A Parent, a Secretary, a Fighter: The Unlikely Crusade of Ramakrishna Udupa In this long-running series on reviving Hyderabad cricket, I have spoken to former cricketers, administrators, umpires, and fans who care deeply about the game. This week, however, I encountered a figure who straddles multiple roles — a parent, a philanthropist, a…
For decades, India’s middle class—arguably the backbone of the nation’s economy—remained politically neglected. Despite being the most consistent taxpayers and primary contributors to national revenues, they were rarely rewarded in electoral calculations. The Congress, which ruled for over six decades, preferred the politics of appeasement. Regional outfits that rose in the 1990s, such as the…
When I took charge as Director of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, in 2017, I knew the institution was facing challenges. What I did not anticipate was the depth of irregularities and contradictions that would emerge in the handling of vigilance clearance cases within the Institute. One of the earliest…
MS Shanker The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) is once again in the news—this time over controversies surrounding the selection of state women’s cricket teams ahead of major upcoming tournaments. Allegations of opaque practices, arbitrary decision-making, and even hints of a “pay-to-play” culture have raised serious concerns about transparency and integrity in the process. One practice…
MS Shanker The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has become less about cricket and more about courtrooms, with the Telangana High Court forced yet again to play umpire in the Association’s never-ending dramas. On Monday, the proceedings opened with a sharp rebuke to one of HCA’s own office-bearers, setting the tone for a day that underlined…
