An ‘honourable' man in the gentleman's game
Findings by vigilance and enforcement investigators, after the Telangana Crime Investigation Department (CID) filed a case under a multitude of Sections expose the criminal traits of the shady man, who did nothing except use the Association as a money-spinner. A look at the bills that have been raised and settled reveals the extent of Team Rao's criminality-Rs 11.85 lakh (new ACs). Rs 6.85 lakh (electric material), catering (Rs 31.07 lakh) and apparel (Rs 56.84 lakh) ostensibly for meeting the requirements of the domestic season, and buying 1,340 cricket balls for a whopping Rs 1.03 crore.
HCA has been in the news for all the wrong reasons since the time Rao assumed office, under dubious circumstances using forged documents to lend credibility to a club that was technically non-existent. The HCA-controlled RGICS has been the headquarters of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Not ironically, it was the SRH that came up with damning charges against the HCA, including harassment, intimidation and using pressure tactics. SRH, in fact, threatened to relocate its base from Hyderabad unable to bear the ill-treatment by the HCA 'gang', which also demanded more than the earmarked 3, 900 complimentary passes for each match played at RGICS. This case took-off after a complaint was lodged by Dharam Gurava Reddy, general secretary of Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) on June 9.
Reddy charged that Rao, a 'master manipulator' who was never associated with the HCA or the game, contested its elections using fake documents and a forged cricket club membership to qualify for the 2023 elections. His candidature gained 'credibility' when it was backed by the equally notorious Gowlipura Cricket Club president G Kavita and her husband Rajender Yadav, its general secretary, who have since been arrested.
A sad fallout has been that Hyderabad, which was once revered for churning out exceptionally gifted cricketers, is in doldrums, the domestic season seems like a ritual that has to be complied with and there has been no promotion at the district level. The dubious machinations of Rao have been so notoriously high that everyone associated with the sport in the state is hoping that this episode will mark
Rao's Waterloo. Mark Antony's 'honourable man' suits men of Rao's ilk, who, as an official pointed out, out-surpass Brutus in terms of treachery and hanging on to power by hook or crook.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
Cops return 5L to 2 victims of cybercrimes
Kolkata: Bidhannagar Police recovered and returned Rs 5.1 lakh in total to victims of two cybercrime cases, in which three accused were arrested. In Lake Town, Rs 3,04,752 was returned to Nilanjan Banerjee, who lodged a complaint on Jan 4 after losing Rs 21.3 lakh to an online work-from-home scam. Banerjee was initially paid for the work before he was asked to invest. He paid Rs 21 lakh before he realised he was duped. "I emptied my father's savings. I am thankful to police for retrieving a portion of the amount. I hope to get back the rest," said Banerjee, a digital marketing professional. Police returned Rs 2,00,372 to Narayanpur resident Baby Mitra, who was in Oct last year duped into downloading an APK file and sharing banking details. Mitra was returned the entire money she lost. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
NDTV
20 minutes ago
- NDTV
Rashid Khan Opens Up On Rehab Mistakes, How A Break Helped Him Rediscover His Best Following Back Surgery
Afghanistan star spinner Rashid Khan, currently participating in The Hundred in the UK, opened up on how he made a mistake by returning to cricket just a few months after a back surgery following the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, which led to a decline in his performance. The spinner also admitted that, in desperation to perform well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 with Gujarat Titans (GT), he over-exerted himself in the training, feeling he was "letting his team down." The IPL 2025 season was Rashid's worst ever, as he took nine wickets in 15 matches, averaging a disappointing 57.11 and leaking runs at an economy rate of 9.34. He was taken to the cleaners by the capped and uncapped talent alike as he was tonked for 33 sixes. The season saw him struggle with his speed and accuracy. However, following a two-month break after the IPL, Rashid came back better than ever, crossing the 650-run mark with a match-sealing 3/11 for defending champions Oval Invincibles' win over London Spirit at Lord's. In a chat with ESPNCricinfo, Rashid admitted failing to grasp the doctor's advice following his back surgery. "After IPL, I needed the kind of break where my body gets back to normal," Rashid said. "I worked a little bit on my strength. And especially coming back from back surgery, I had not had much time to rehab properly. That's where I made a mistake to restart my cricket so quickly at that time. And I feel like I did not let myself properly recover, and I pushed it a little bit at that time, and I can see the disadvantage of that now. But after IPL [2025], I felt like I needed that kind of two months off where I could just focus on my fitness," said Rashid. "And when I came on Tuesday, I felt so good, in a good rhythm, and the ball was coming nicely out of my hand, and [my] body was allowing me to go through. So these things matter a lot - sometimes you do not think about that a lot; you just try your best to push yourself. But I feel to be out of the game for some time and focus on my fitness - and also [focus] mentally and physically - that played a huge role," he added. On a sluggish Lord's pitch, Rashid bowled at speeds varying between 94-98 kph and looked in total control. "On Tuesday, I was bowling at 94-98 kph - that is my pace, and the speeds I am known to bowl at. I feel I was missing that before because my body was not allowing me to go through my action with that full energy. Last night, against Spirit, when I came to bowl, I was getting that good feeling, and I was touching that speed with which I could put the batsman in trouble, and also not allow him much time to read from the surface," he added. After a few months of his back surgery, despite a warning to pay attention to his rehab, Rashid started playing competitive cricket from March 2024 onwards against Ireland, mostly T20Is, though. He was also a part of Afghanistan's historic run to the semifinals in the T20 World Cup 2024. Soon after that, he faced niggles in his back and hamstrings, causing him to miss the Big Bash League (BBL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL). In January 2025, he played some Test cricket, playing the second Zimbabwe Test at Bulawayo, bowling a combined 55 overs and picking up 11 wickets. But the toll of these marathon spells was felt during the Champions Trophy and the IPL. In the CT, he could pick just one wicket in three matches and leaked runs at an economy rate of 6.25. "When I came back to cricket after surgery, I was told not to rush back in the longer formats [Tests and ODIs] that quickly as that was not going to help me," Rashid said. "About eight to nine months after I had started to play post-surgery, I bowled 65 [55] overs in the Bulawayo Test. That really pushed my back a little bit, and I felt it at that time. I should not have been in whites." "In T20s, it is fine - you can manage yourself - but for the longer formats, I was advised that you should be away from that format for some time. That is the kind of mistake I have made. But the team needed that. At that time, we had lost a few games in Test cricket, but that is something where I rushed myself a little bit, and I did not give myself time, and I felt it later on. Yes, I think I have done a mistake where my body was not allowing me that and I am facing a problem. The thing i,s the stiffness in your back does not allow you to go with full rhythm," he added. During the IPL, the spin wizard admitted trying too many things and bowling too many overs in the training sessions. "I was trying my best to get back on track and deliver the best for the team, and do what I am famous for, what I am known for. But sometimes, you are trying your best, you are pushing yourself too much, [and] it doesn't help. You just need to try to be relaxed and cool down, and let the things [be] - it will be fine. You just need to not put too much of pressure on yourself. I was going to the nets every day, sometimes bowling 15-16 overs at one go," he added. Rashid felt that he was "letting everyone down" and even consulted GT's coaching staff regarding his bowling, as he felt good bowling in the nets. Now, looking back, spinner admits the needs to "calm down" and accept one could have "bad days or years". "Sometimes you just need to calm down. You do have bad days, [and] you have bad years, and you have to accept that; it's not like you are going to be on top all the time. These things just teach you so many good things. And that is something which I should have taken - like yes, it is fine. I shouldn't be pushing myself too much. I am positive that I am working hard, but it is just a matter of time it will come," he said. Rashid was also aware given the status and intensity IPL had, people were bound to question if he was past his prime. "Everyone then talk about like, 'Okay, what happened? Is he done?' Is it this, [or] that? But for me, I was just missing my length," he said. When he entered the IPL in 2017, Rashid bowled an economy of just six runs per over until 2022. By the next year, batters, especially right-handers, had a freer, attacking approach against him, with his economy rate gradually increasing to 8.57 (2023), 8.84 (2024) and 9.69 (2025) against the right-handers, as compared to just 5.95 in the 2017 season, which marked his debut. A few seasons ago, Rashid's balls-per-six ratio was 43, but by 2025, it was 10. Rashid was aware of these numbers, but didn't feel too concerned. "Before, when I was bowling 24 balls (four overs per T20 innings), I was missing pitching them on length for like four or five balls. But then the number went up to eight or nine balls. And in those eight to nine balls, they are scoring those extra couple of sixes and couple of big boundaries. I just needed to decrease that. Nothing else. It is not like of the 24 balls, I was bowling every ball badly, [or] I was bowling wides and full tosses. I knew it is going to be fine," he added. Rashid pulled out of the Major Cricket League (MLC), where he represents MI New York, in June after a chat with coaches made him extent of stress he was putting his body under and unable to go with the "full flow". During his time away from the game, he did a lot of strength training, especially for his lower back and did some spot bowling two to three times a week, along with some batting. The gym work gained more focus. The spinner, who got married last October, also got to spend more time with the family, which left him feeling relaxed. "After IPL finished, for three weeks, I did not touch the ball. I spent most of my time with my family, [and] my nephews - going around with them, [and] had fun - just to take all those memories and stuff and bad days out of my mind, and then restart with the cricket. That is what I did just to be refreshed, and then got back on track and got back bowling in the right spot," he added. The break seems to have impacted Rashid positively, as before coming back to The Hundred, he played four matches for Speen Ghar Tigers, in Afghanistan's T20 tournament, picking up 4/19 in the last match. Now, Rashid will be hoping to carry the momentum forward as Invincibles aim to make it a hat-trick of titles.
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
AMC nod to construction of mini sports complexes in Nikol, Naroda
Slug: Olympics Push Ahmedabad : The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) was planning to construct one mini sports complex in each zone of the city. As part of this plan, proposals for the construction of mini sports complexes in Gota, Ghuma, Naroda, and Nikol were approved with a total budget of over Rs 125 crore. At a meeting of the road and building committee on Friday, proposals were approved for the construction of a mini sports complex in the Naroda area for Rs 32.61 crore and in the Nikol area for Rs 32.72 crore. Earlier, in June, proposals were approved for a mini sports complex in Gota for Rs 30.49 crore and in the Ghuma area for Rs 41.92 crore. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad Preparations are underway for Ahmedabad to host the 2036 Olympics. In anticipation of this event, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is planning to develop new sports infrastructure in every zone of the city. The corporation plans to build five large sports complexes in Gota, Bopal-Ghuma, Ranip, Naroda, and Nikol, with an estimated budget of Rs 200 to 250 crore. Tenders were floated for these five sports complexes and are now being submitted for approval. The corporation has decided to build a mini sports complex in each zone. As part of this, a mini sports complex will be constructed on a part of Final Plot No. 162 in TP Scheme No. 32 of Gota, at a cost of Rs 30.49 crore. The proposal was approved at the road and building committee meeting on June 9. Additionally, a proposal to construct a mini sports complex with a swimming pool on 32,431 square metres of land at Final Plot No. 334 in TP Scheme No. 3 of Ghuma has also been approved. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
