Hyderabad: In a move that has both shaken and baffled the Hyderabad cricket community, the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) on July 28 suspended its president A. Jagan Mohan Rao, secretary Devraj and treasurer C.J. Srinivas Rao on charges of fraud, cheating, misappropriation of funds and abuse of official position. The decision, announced in a press release titled ‘Orders from the Apex Council of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA)’, cited provisions of Rules 41(6) and 15(4)(d) of the HCA’s 2018 Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations.The release claimed the suspensions reflected HCA’s commitment to “transparency, accountability and the highest ethical standards.” It also noted that the move comes amid ongoing investigations by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), suggesting a swift clampdown on alleged financial irregularities. But the action has sparked a storm of controversy around the legitimacy of the move. The order was issued on official HCA letterhead that carried the printed names of the three office-bearers who were supposedly removed, casting doubt on its legitimacy and fuelling speculation over internal dissent. Adding to the uproar, Shesh Narayan, a former HCA office-bearer, questioned the legality of the suspension. He stressed that as per the HCA constitution, only a general body meeting — with the backing of at least three-fourths of the members — can suspend elected officials. He said the disciplinary action must follow a complaint of malpractice, an inquiry by the Ombudsman and approval by the general body. None of these steps, he claimed, appears to have been followed. The Apex Council itself is now in a precarious position. Of its nine members, three are under arrest and two others have been suspended, leaving the council in a minority, raising further doubts about the legitimacy of the emergency meeting and its resolutions. Sources within the association believe the suspensions are a desperate move by a faction within HCA to consolidate power amid ongoing probes into alleged financial mismanagement that have cast a long shadow over Telangana cricket’s administration. With both CID and ED investigations intensifying, this bruising internal power struggle threatens to further erode the association’s reputation and raise uncomfortable questions about governance and accountability. As uncertainty mounts, players and fans are left questioning who truly leads the HCA — and whether genuine reform can emerge from this standoff, or if Hyderabad’s cricket governance will continue to be dogged by chaos and controversies.