1,340 cricket balls for Rs 1 crore: The allegations behind arrest of Hyderabad Cricket Association president

Cricket balls, air conditioners, sports apparel and plumbing – these are among the heads under which Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president A Jagan Mohan Rao allegedly “misappropriated” funds in collusion with association treasurer CJ Srinivas Rao and its Chief Executive Officer Sunil Kante, the Telangana CID has claimed.

According to officials in the Telangana Crime Investigation Department (CID), the alleged misappropriation was at least to the tune of Rs 2.32 crore. According to the FIR filed in the case, the alleged misappropriation took place on six counts, and includes “allotting” catering services and “buying” electrical material.

The CID’s case is based on a complaint filed on June 9, 2025, by the Telangana Cricket Association general secretary D Guruva Reddy. According to the FIR, Jagan Mohan Rao, along with others in the apex council of HCA, allegedly misappropriated Rs 1.03 crore by claiming that the amount was being spent on the purchase of cricket balls for the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) domestic season 2024-25.

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“The number of balls purchased for this huge sum was just 1,340,” the FIR reads. In this purchase, Rao violated the tender procedure and did not maintain a stock register, the FIR reads.

Similarly, Rs 11.85 lakh was allegedly listed as having been spent on new air conditioners.

In the purchase of plumbing material for IPL 2023-24 and 2024-25, Rs 21.7 lakh was allegedly swindled, the FIR reads. Similarly, Rs 6.85 lakh was allegedly misappropriated for the purchase of electric material for the 18th edition of IPL 2024-25.

The FIR also alleges that catering was allotted out of turn to a private vendor for Rs 31.07 lakh, and Rs 56.84 lakh was misappropriated in the name of apparel purchases for the BCCI domestic season 2024-25.

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Jagan Mohan Rao, Srinivas Rao and Sunil Kante were arrested on July 9 over charges of 465 (punishment for forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (cheating) read with 34 (common intention).

Rao and two others are accused of forgery in connection with the 2023 HCA elections. According to the CID, Rao allegedly forged a cricket club membership — one of the requirements to be a candidate – for the election. C Rajender Yadav and G Kavitha, two top officials of the Gowlipura Cricket Club, later renamed as Sri Chakra Cricket Club, were also arrested on July 9 in connection with the case.

The CID has also accused Rao and other arrested office bearers of the HCA of allegedly wrongfully restraining IPL franchise Sun Risers Hyderabad’s (SRH) officials. This complaint also includes “claims of intimidation and blackmail over complimentary tickets and access to corporate boxes”, the CID has said in a statement signed by ADGP CID Charu Sinha.

The HCA had drawn flak during the IPL season after the Sun Risers Hyderabad publicly alleged that its president was asking for more complimentary passes over and above the 3,900 allotted to them for every match. SRH also alleged that the HCA president locked up the VIP box meant for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) just hours prior to a match with them.

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Meanwhile, Telangana Cricket Association’s general secretary — the complainant in the case — issued a press release, which said, “This arrest is not the end – it must be the beginning of reform.”

Calls to the HCA and the Gowlipura Cricket Club for a response went unanswered.

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