CHENNAI: The Hyderabad cricket team is back in the Elite field in the Ranji Trophy after topping Plate Group. If this was not good news enough, what Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) top official announced would definitely be the cherry on top for the team. One crore rupees for the team and a BMW car for each cricketer in the team if they win the Ranji Trophy in the next three years.
Just to put things in perspective, here's a recap. More than a year ago, hosts Hyderabad suffered their sixth straight defeat in an Elite Group B Ranji Trophy match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Uppal. The crushing defeat and the horrendous show — six losses in seven matches with a solitary point — meant they finished at the bottom of the points table and were relegated to Plate Group.
The relegation was not new to the team as it suffered the same fate in 2009-10 and 2022-23 seasons as well but the recent failure was apparently more because of chaos at the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). Allegations of corruption were rampant making the Supreme Court appoint an administrator to run the show. Given the mess they were in, the priority of the newly-elected body led by Arishnapally Jagan Mohan Rao was to sort out on-field issues and make sure the team got back to the Elite Group.
The first target was achieved on Tuesday as Tilak Varma-led side defeated Meghalaya by 5 wickets in the Plate Group final to earn promotion to the Elite Group for the next season — incidentally at the same venue where they face the ignominy of relegation. The result was on the expected line as the other five teams in the group — Nagaland, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram — are considered minnows and gradually rising through the ranks.
But it hardly mattered as incumbent chief Jagan Mohan, visibly overjoyed with the team's promotion, announced the bonanza. "It (announcement) was aimed at motivating the players and other stakeholders. Achieving the target next year is realistically not possible so I gave them three seasons," Jagan Mohan, who assumed the office in October last year, told this daily.
Notably, Hyderabad had won the coveted title twice — one each in 1937-38 and 1986-87 — but competing among the 32 best teams and clinching the title will not be an easy task. Jagan Mohan also knows the fact and hence he wants to revamp the cricketing structure at the HCA.
"We had our first annual general meeting on Sunday wherein we discussed the way forward. At the moment there is Hyderabad Cricket Academy of Excellence at the Gymkhana Grounds. I have proposed four satellite academies in four different parts of the city to make sure budding cricketers are scouted and given requisite facilities near their localities. As many as 10 districts come under HCA so we have planned a mini stadium at each district headquarters to identify and groom talents. The iconic Moin-ud-Dowlah tournament will also be revamped."
Mithali to lead women's cricket
In his bid to promote women's cricket, Jagan Mohan has approached former India women's team captain Mithali Raj to guide the HCA with her expertise and decades-long experience. "She has agreed to help us out. We are planning to start a separate academy for women. Basically, Mithali will be in charge of everything once we complete the formalities.
New international stadium
The HCA is also planning to build a new stadium and is in talks with the government for the purpose. "The facility at Uppal faces a few issues like parking, seating capacity (existing 40k) and traffic. We are planning to acquire 50-60 acres of land from the government to build a new facility with a seating capacity of around 70-80k," Jagan Mohan said. Notably, the existing venue became operational in 2005.