The Telangana Districts Cricket Association (TDCA) along with student organisations staged a protest at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium demanding greater representation for Telangana players in the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad.

The protest was led by TDCA president Allipuram Venkateshwar Reddy, who said Sunrisers Hyderabad owners have the financial capacity to purchase Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed for ₹2.34 crore in the 100 League, but it was failing to provide opportunities to talented cricketers from Telangana.

They criticised the franchise for spending crores on overseas players while allegedly neglecting local youth. They argued that IPL franchises from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Punjab have provided opportunities to Telugu players, but Sunrisers Hyderabad has not shown similar encouragement towards local cricketers.

“You seek Telangana’s market, revenues and resources, but deny playing opportunities to our talented youth. There can be no greater injustice than this,” Mr Reddy said. He demanded that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Sports Minister Srihari and Sunrisers Hyderabad owner Kavya Maran respond to the concerns and ensure justice to Telangana cricketers.