The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), asking for help. In a mail written by the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016 winners, they alleged that the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) President Jagan Mohan Rao has been blackmailing them for tickets for matches at their home ground, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal.
SRH writes to HCA
According to Cricbuzz, SRH owners Sun Group have written to HCA Apex Council Members regarding their issue. “It is the HCA President Mr. Jagan Mohan Rao who is resorting to threats, coercion and blackmail. Even before the IPL started, Rao threatened our staff with coercion, who in return out of fear wrote an email to him, placing on record the threat he made,” SRH stated in the mail.
The whole issue revolves around tickets. Jagan Mohan Rao requested 3900 tickets for each home match at SRH hosts in the IPL 2025. This would be 10% of the total tickets they can sell. SRH didn’t wish to do so but to avoid conflicts agreed to the demands. But Rao asked SRH to replace 20 tickets given in the F-12 A section with a different box. This is where the issue took a whole different turn.
SRH shot these requests down. After this, the franchise alleges that the HCA President locked the corporate box allocated to the Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka before their clash in Hyderabad on March 27.
“This is in reference to your email dated 29th March 2025. Firstly, we wish to place on record that we have no grievances against HCA’s Secretary, CEO, Treasurer or other office bearers of HCA. In fact, we would like to thank them for their cooperation. Without waiting for a resolution, the HCA president Mr. Jagan Mohan Rao locked the F3 box just few hours before the start of the game, knowing very well that this box was given to the owner of Lucknow Super Giants, Mr. Goenka. This was done just to blackmail us and put coercive pressure on us to give additional 20 complimentary tickets before the game” it further read.
Meeting called for said blackmail
They have requested a meeting with the HCA, regarding the behaviour of President Jagan Mohan Rao. SRH states that they don’t have any issues with any other member of the state organisation.
“I kindly request the Apex council to meet us in person so that we can clarify regarding all that has transpired and show the required evidence to the members. We once again wish to state that it is only the HCA President Mr. Jagan Mohan Rao who is behaving unprofessionally, resorting to threats, coercion and blackmail.”
It was always our intention to resolve these issues amicably, but when Mr. Jagan Mohan Rao went to the extent of locking the F3 box and blackmailing for complimentary tickets, we had no choice but to escalate this matter. We thank the other office bearers of the HCA for cooperating with us and hope we can have a meeting scheduled immediately so we can solve this in person,” SRH wrote to HCA.
