The 2025 Indian Premier League season has been rocked by a high-stakes confrontation between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), with the franchise publicly accusing the state body of “intimidation” and “blackmail” over the allocation of complimentary match tickets.
In a letter addressed to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), SRH has urged immediate intervention, alleging that the HCA has made unreasonable and unlawful demands for additional complimentary tickets and attempted to use its authority to pressure the franchise.
“We are being intimidated and blackmailed by HCA, and this has been the case for several years now. We are now reaching a point where we are being pushed against the wall,” SRH wrote in the letter to the BCCI.
The dispute centers on the number of complimentary tickets allocated by the franchise to the HCA for matches hosted at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. According to SRH, despite fulfilling their obligations under the existing agreement and offering 300 complimentary tickets per game (including 100 for the president’s box), HCA has been insisting on at least 1,500 free passes per match — a number SRH claims is excessive and unaccounted for.
In the letter, the franchise alleged that the HCA has refused to approve various operational elements, including the deployment of fire department personnel and advertising board installations, until its demands are met. The franchise stated, “The most recent situation is that we have been asked to give 1500 complimentary tickets per match and unless we do so, approvals for Fire Department, Advertising Boards etc will not be given.”
The letter also claims that the association’s demands were coercive and issued through a “text message sent via a junior staff member.”
The controversy gained further traction after reports emerged that the HCA had issued show-cause notices to SRH officials and levied substantial charges for stadium use, including Rs 1 crore per match and an additional Rs 40 lakh for season tickets, security, and electricity.
In response to the allegations, the HCA has categorically denied any wrongdoing. A senior HCA official told the media, “There is no question of blackmail. We have given everything in writing. We have not asked for 1500 complimentary tickets. We only asked for what was agreed in the MoU. We have not asked for anything more.”
The official further added, “They are playing the victim card. We are not stopping anything, we are only asking for dues to be cleared.”
HCA has also asserted that it is the state association that owns and maintains the stadium, and that it has only requested what is contractually due under the existing agreement between the two parties.
The escalating row has now drawn the attention of the BCCI, with insiders indicating that the board may step in to mediate the situation before it affects the remaining matches of the season in Hyderabad. The dispute has cast a spotlight on the often complex and tense relationships between IPL franchises and state cricket associations, particularly around revenue sharing, ticketing rights, and stadium access.
With multiple high-profile fixtures scheduled at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium this season, SRH has made it clear that unless the matter is resolved promptly, it could impact both logistics and the matchday experience.
The franchise concluded its appeal to the BCCI by warning, “It is impossible for us to work under such conditions anymore. We are left with no option but to escalate this to your good office, and unless this is resolved immediately, we are afraid that we may not be able to continue conducting matches smoothly.”
As IPL 2025 continues, the BCCI’s response to this dispute could set a precedent for how conflicts between franchises and state bodies are handled in the future — with implications not only for Hyderabad but potentially across the league.
