Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have threatened to relocate their IPL 2025 matches from Hyderabad, potentially not playing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The franchise accused Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) officials of harassment and intimidation over demands for free tickets, according to a report.
SRH’s General Manager, Srinath TB, sent a letter to HCA Treasurer CJ Srinivas Rao, expressing frustration with the ongoing issues and making it clear that the franchise would not tolerate such behavior. The letter, as reported, states: “All these unprofessional threats and actions by HCA, especially from the HCA president, suggest you don’t want Sunrisers to play at your stadium. If that’s the case, please let me know in writing so we can inform the BCCI, Telangana government, and our management that we need to consider another venue, and we will move.”
Srinath went on to explain that SRH has been working with the HCA for over 12 years, but such issues and harassment have only begun in the last season. SRH has played two matches at their home venue in Hyderabad during the ongoing IPL 2025 season.
The dispute began with a disagreement over complimentary tickets. In previous years, HCA has been allocated 50 complimentary tickets (F12A box) out of the 3,900 free tickets given for the IPL matches. However, this year, HCA insisted that the capacity of the F12A box was only 30 and demanded an additional 20 complimentary tickets in a different box. SRH claimed they tried to discuss the issue amicably, but when the HCA locked the F3 box and refused to open it without the extra tickets, the situation escalated.
Srinath added, “We pay the appropriate rent for the stadium, and during IPL matches, the stadium falls under our jurisdiction. But in the last game, HCA locked the F3 box and refused to open it unless the extra 20 tickets were provided. This unprofessional behavior has created a hostile environment and is making cooperation increasingly difficult.”
The email further highlighted that this was not the first instance of such threats and intimidation. It alleged that the HCA president had previously issued several threats throughout the year, which had been brought to the association’s attention.
In light of the ongoing issues, Srinath formally requested a meeting with the HCA’s apex council members at the earliest opportunity to resolve the matter. He reiterated that SRH would prefer to stick to the signed agreement, which specifies that 10 percent of the complimentary tickets would be allocated across each stand.
Given the mounting tensions, SRH’s threat to move their matches away from Hyderabad looms large unless the situation is addressed.
