Titans of Hyderabad Cricket 

By Abhijit Sen Gupta

Hyderabad cricket has had a long and colourful history involving flamboyant players with interesting stories behind them. The game was first patronized by the aristocrats of the region especially Nawab Moin ud Dowla Bahadur who was a great cricket lover and ensured that the leading names of the pre-independence period were seen in action in Hyderabad.

Players like CK Nayudu, Lala Amarnath, Mohammed Nissar and Englishmen such as Jack Hobbs and Bert Sutcliffe played on the fields of Hyderabad back then. 

There was a man named Syed Mohammad Hadi who represented India in the Davis Cup and also scored the first ever century in the Ranji trophy back in the 1930s. 

Hadi was talented in so many sports that someone nicknamed him Rainbow Hadi. He had as many skills as the colours of a rainbow.    

This book chronicles the beginnings and subsequent development of Hyderabad cricket right up to its present time and status. There was an aura about cricket in Hyderabad that was in keeping with the culture and ethos of the city. The lifestyle of Hyderabad was unique in the sense that it reflected the language and attitudes of the people who live in the city. It also had an effect on the way the game was played in this region.

There are insights into the lives and careers of players such as M.L. Jaisimha, Mohammed Azharuddin, V.V.S. Laxman, Venkatapathy Raju and many others. Their exclusive comments and interviews with the author are fascinating to read.