Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 18 : The Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) has issued legal notices to actors Vijay Deverakonda and Venkatesh Daggubati, along with cricketers Mohammed Siraj, Ambati Rayudu and Tilak Varma, over their reported association with the proposed TG20 League, alleging that the tournament is being conducted without mandatory approval from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Speaking to ANI, TCA General Secretary Gurava Reddy said the association has objected to celebrities endorsing what it described as an "illegal" and "unapproved" league being organised by the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).
"Today, the Telangana Cricket Association has sent legal notices to Vijay Deverakonda, Venkatesh Daggubati, international cricketer Siraj, former cricketer Ambati Rayudu and Tilak Varma, questioning their association with the tainted and illegal TG20 League proposed to be conducted by the Hyderabad Cricket Association," Reddy told ANI.
According to the notice, the TCA has alleged that the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) is conducting business with corporate entities without BCCI authorisation and that promoting the proposed TG20 League without such approval amounts to an offence. The association has raised concerns over the league's regulatory status and the potential implications of celebrity endorsements.
"The Hyderabad Cricket Association conducting TG20 league which has changed its names in due course from Telangana Premier League to TTL to then they changed it to some other you know TG20 Premier League to now TG20, they say they have some prefix, some names, some sponsors name now, but basically they do not have two primary mandates to conduct any franchise based Premier League in a state level, all the BCCI members they should adopt two rules, rule number 28, the governing council which is supposed to conduct this league, organize this league has to be elected by the association's general body in an annual general body meeting and the chairman of this league, it's a mandatory that the chairman of the league should be elected by the general body of the association which did not happen," he added.
Further explaining the reason behind it, Reddy shared, "Because what is happening in Hyderabad in last one and half to two years there were many criminal misappropriations, financial misappropriations, mal-administration complaints, several litigations are being filed on each other, members of Hyderabad Cricket Association within themselves are fighting and also Telangana Cricket Association is also fighting for the rights, fundamental rights and also the constitutional mandate that the newly formed Telangana state should get its own membership and Hyderabad is coming in its way by practical ways, methods as well as its membership, its activity, everything in Hyderabad is by its birth confined to Hyderabad city and they are not allowing the Telangana talent to come up, they are not allowing the Telangana talent to register for the BCCI tournament that's why Telangana Cricket Association has formed a separate platform and approached BCCI."
Reddy said the TCA would move court if the celebrities continued to be associated with the tournament.
"Hyderabad Cricket Association wants to overcome the lack of legality and compliance by using celebrities and misleading stakeholders. That is why we are objecting. We have sent notices and will also file legal suits against them if they continue to associate with this league," he said.
Reddy stated that the BCCI had directed the HCA in 2021 to collaborate with the TCA for the development of cricket outside Hyderabad city, but alleged that the directive was not implemented.
"Recently there were some developments, BCCI in 2021 has given a direction to Hyderabad Cricket Association that they should collaborate with Telangana Cricket Association in terms of development of cricket out of Hyderabad city like in the rest of the 85 per cent of the geographical and population area is controlled and administered and cricket is being developed by Telangana Cricket Association that is recognised by BCCI, only separate membership is not given yet, they wanted Telangana Cricket Association to be collaborated with Hyderabad Cricket Association so that they will comply with certain practical methodologies as well as rules that BCCI has thought of. Hyderabad did not comply with those rules; they did not comply, that's why we approached the Bombay High Court," he added.
He added that the matter is currently pending before the Bombay High Court and is expected to come up for final hearing in the first week of July.
Gurava Reddy alleged that the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) had assured the Bombay High Court that it would comply with the BCCI's directive to collaborate with the Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) for cricket development outside Hyderabad city.
He also shared that despite two joint meetings, including one overseen by a retired judge, no meaningful progress was made. Reddy further claims that while the court case is still pending, HCA is attempting to establish commercial rights through the TG20 League by selling franchises linked to Telangana district names, which he argues could complicate the dispute before the court reaches a final decision.
"In the Bombay High Court, Hyderabad came back and said they will implement the BCCI order of collaboration between Hyderabad and Telangana. There were two joint meetings held, and one of them was also held under the purview of monitoring of retired justice, but nothing has happened. Simultaneously, before that petition which is being heard, which is pending for the final hearing in the Bombay High Court in first week of July, before that Hyderabad want to create a fight, that is they want to create third party rights with illegal capturing and conflict with the names of districts of Telangana, with the name of Telangana, where they have already agreed, admitted that they would collaborate in terms of development of cricket outside Hyderabad with TCA, ignoring that mandate, ignoring the BCCI direction, ignoring the High Court admittance that they made, they want to, before the final hearing is done, they want to create a third party right of selling the franchises with the district names to third parties, who are construction companies, who mainly belong to ministers and MLAs. In some way, their partners are indirect Benamis of some ministers and MLAs in Telangana state, which we are opposing," Reddy said.
He also alleges that some franchise stakeholders are connected to political figures in Telangana and says TCA opposes these moves. Reddy reiterates TCA's demand for separate BCCI recognition, claiming that over 20,000 cricketers from Telangana have been waiting for recognition since the state's formation in 2014, despite what he says is a constitutional provision for new states to receive recognition within three months.
"Thousands, there are more than 20,000 registered cricketers under TCA, outside playing cricket under BCCI norms, outside Hyderabad city, waiting for recognition for the last 12 years, though the BCCI constitution mandates that, whenever there is a new state formed, there should be a new body given recognition of a new state within three months," he added.
According to Reddy, the HCA does not have the authority to conduct a franchise-based state-level league as it has allegedly failed to comply with provisions of the BCCI constitution.
"It has been 12 years now, but we are still waiting for our justice to be met. That's why you see, for the last 20 years, there is no cricketer representing India from Telangana, except for Hyderabad. So Telangana is waiting for that. Now, today we have issued legal notices to all those celebrities, because Hyderabad Cricket Association wants to overcome the lacks of having the lack of legality of the compliance rule 28 and rule 30, and they want to overcome that by assigning celebrities, by misguiding the public and misguiding stakeholders. That's why we are objecting. So we sent notices to the celebrities, you know, Vijay Devarakonda, Venkatesh, three international cricketers and former cricketers as well, and we are also going to file suits, legal suits against them if they continue to associate with this league," Reddy alleged.
As of now, neither Vijay Deverakonda nor Venkatesh has publicly responded to the legal notices or the allegations made by the TCA.