Tilak Verama of HCA and BWM (Courtesy: Tilak Verma/X & bmw.in)

Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has made a huge promise to their state players if they win the Ranji Trophy 2023-24. The team will be gifted INR 1 crore as a cash bonus, and each player will receive a BMW. The decision taken by the HCA comes after Hyderabad won all seven matches in the Plate League, and defeated Meghalaya in the Plate Final to enter the Elite League.

Incidentally, Hyderabad had registered their sixth straight defeat in an Elite Group B Ranji Trophy match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal. Their six losses made them finish at the bottom of the table with a relegation to the Plate Group.

“It (announcement) was aimed at motivating the players and other stakeholders. Achieving the target next year is realistically not possible so I gave them three seasons,” Jagan Mohan told the Indian Express.

Hyderabad has suffered the same fate in 2009-10 and 22-23. The relegation was more apparent this season due to chaos in the Hyderabad Cricket Association, including the rampant allegations of corruption that forced the Supreme Court to appoint an administrator to run the show.

The main focus under the newly-elected body led by Arishnapally Jagan Mohan Rai was to make sure that the state team qualifies for the Elite Group.

Besides this, Jagmohan has also approached former India captain Mithali Raj to guide the HCA with her experience. “She has agreed to help us out. We are planning to start a separate academy for women. Basically, Mithali will be in charge of everything once we complete the formalities.”