While the floodlights of the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium (RGICS) in Uppal often shine bright, they increasingly illuminate a house in disarray. Once a crown jewel of Indian cricket infrastructure, the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) is now better known for its courtroom dramas and boardroom brawls than for hosting marquee international fixtures.
As of early 2026, the association finds itself in a precarious “lobbying” phase—desperate to convince the BCCI that it can handle the responsibilities of international cricket despite a track record marred by leadership vacuums and alleged systemic corruption.
A Stadium in Shambles: The Infrastructure Cost
The lack of a unified front at the top has directly impacted the stadium’s physical state. For years, the HCA has struggled with basic maintenance:
* The Canopy Crisis: Since a storm damaged the stadium’s canopies in 2019, repairs have been agonizingly slow, often leaving spectators exposed to the elements.
* The “Pigeon” Problem: During the 2023 World Cup, images of seats covered in bird droppings went viral, a PR nightmare that cemented the venue’s reputation for poor hospitality.
* Broken Amenities: Fans frequently complain about broken chairs, subpar washrooms, and mismanagement during high-stakes games.
The Leadership Vacuum: From CID Arrests to Acting Presidents
The primary hurdle for Hyderabad’s cricket fans isn’t a lack of passion, but a lack of stable governance. The HCA has been caught in a cycle of “infighting” that has seen:
* Corruption Scandals: In July 2025, the association faced a massive blow when President A. Jagan Mohan Rao and several officials were arrested by the Telangana CID. The charges—including forgery and misappropriation of funds—stemmed from a ticketing scandal during IPL 2025 where Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) accused the HCA of “blackmailing” them for extra complimentary tickets.
* Legal Tug-of-War: The association has been bogged down by external litigation, including a 2025 High Court ruling ordering them to pay over ₹25 crore in damages to Visaka Industries over a decades-old advertisement dispute.
* The “Acting” Era: With the elected brass under investigation, the association is currently being led by Acting President Sardar Daljeet Singh. While the current administration is pushing for local initiatives like the Telangana T20 League to restore confidence, the absence of a permanent, scandal-free apex council makes the BCCI hesitant to award high-profile “Grade A” international matches to the city.
Lobbying vs. Performance
The HCA is currently in a “lobbying” mode, attempting to leverage Hyderabad’s status as a Tier-1 cricketing city to secure more matches. However, the BCCI’s recent trend favors associations with stable leadership and modernized infrastructure, like Ahmedabad , Vizag or Lucknow.
For Hyderabad to move from the sidelines back to the center stage, the “lobbying” needs to be backed by a structural overhaul. Without collective leadership, the Uppal stadium risks becoming a relic of missed opportunities—a world-class pitch trapped within a world-class mess.
