New Delhi, April 1: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) have reached a consensus to maintain the category allocation of 3,900 complimentary passes, following a meeting held here on Tuesday.
On Sunday, SRH had appealed to the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council to intervene and address what they described as recurring “blackmailing tactics” by the HCA, a claim the state association denied.
SRH had further threatened to consider relocating their home matches to another state if the HCA continued to “threaten” the franchise, primarily over the issue of additional complimentary tickets. SRH in turn threatened to move out their matches from Hyderabad.
To resolve the matter, HCA Secretary R. Devraj arranged a meeting with SRH officials at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. SRH representatives Kiran, Saravanan, and Rohit Suresh were present for the discussions.
“During the discussions, SRH proposed strictly adhering to the existing tri-party agreement between SRH, HCA, and BCCI, ensuring that 10% of the available stadium capacity across all sections is allocated accordingly,” HCA and SRH said in a joint statement.
“HCA, in turn, proposed maintaining the existing allocation of passes in each category, in line with the long-standing practice followed over the years.
“Following in-depth discussions and further telephonic deliberations with SRH CEO Mr. Shanmugam, the following resolution was agreed upon: The category allocation of 3900 complimentary passes to HCA will remain unchanged, consistent with established practice,” it said.HCA has assured SRH of full cooperation in a professional manner moving forward.
“HCA and SRH are committed to working together amicably to enhance the spectator experience at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium,” a joint statement read.
With both parties reaching common ground, the resolution between Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Hyderabad Cricket Association ensures stability for the franchise and its home fans. The agreement to maintain the allocation of 3,900 complimentary passes not only upholds tradition but also prevents a potential relocation that could have disrupted the team’s home advantage. While the friction leading up to this decision exposed underlying tensions, the commitment to professionalism and cooperation signals a positive step forward. (PTI)
