Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday took serious note of reports that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) had threatened to terminate its agreement with the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), citing alleged harassment by HCA officials over demands for additional tickets and passes during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.
In response, the Chief Minister ordered a vigilance inquiry, assigning Director General of Vigilance and Enforcement, Kothakota Srinivas Reddy, to investigate the allegations made by the SRH management against the HCA.
He also directed officials to probe alleged irregularities in ticket sales at the Uppal Stadium.
According to media reports, SRH manager T B Srinath, in an email to HCA Treasurer C J Srinivas, accused HCA President Jagan Mohan Rao Arshinapally of “intimidation, coercion, and blackmail” to obtain complimentary IPL tickets.
Srinath further warned that if the issue wasn’t resolved, the franchise would request the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to shift its home venue from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam.
In his email, Srinath noted that SRH had maintained a cordial relationship with the HCA for over 12 years, but the dynamic had deteriorated in recent years due to disagreements over complimentary tickets. Notably, Jagan Mohan Rao assumed charge as HCA president in October 2023.
“All these unprofessional threats and actions by HCA, especially by the current president, make it evident that you do not want Sunrisers to play at your stadium. If that is the case, kindly confirm it in writing so that we may inform the BCCI, the Telangana Government, and our top management, and make arrangements to shift to another venue,” the email stated.
As per the existing agreement, the stadium — built and managed by the HCA — is handed over to SRH for the duration of the IPL season.
HCA President Jagan Mohan Rao, however, denied receiving any such communication from SRH.
“HCA has not received any official emails from the SRH management. There is no truth to the reports circulating on social media and certain websites,” he said.
He also questioned the legitimacy of the emails being circulated.
“If such emails exist, why were they leaked from unknown sources instead of being sent through official HCA or SRH channels? What is the conspiracy behind this?” he asked.
Rao alleged that this was part of a malicious campaign to tarnish the image of both HCA and SRH.
“Are these emails real or fabricated? The media should also seek a clear response from SRH to clarify the matter,” he said in a press release.