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From Cricketing Heritage to Ranji Revival: Gymkhana Ground Takes Centre Stage

The 202627 Ranji Trophy season has started, bringing news of another venue change. As the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad undergoes a major revamp, Gymkhana Ground has been assigned to host all of Hyderabads home matches this season. This marks a return to centre stage for the ground after decades of playing a supporting role in the citys cricketing scene. By the time Hyderabad acquired its modern international cricket stadium at Uppal, Gymkhana had already made its mark. Long before floodlights, giant electronic screens and packed international venues became the face of the game, this ground in the twin city of Secunderabad was at the centre of Hyderabads cricketing life. Now, the historic ground has an opportunity to reclaim its place in the domestic cricket landscape. Cricket has been played at Gymkhana since the 19th century, with British military officers, local Nawabs and members of the Parsi community playing here. In 1931, it hosted its first first-class match, between Hyderabad and the Maharaj Kumar of Vizianagrams XI, as part of the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup tournament. Three years later, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) became the first official overseas team to play in Hyderabad. The visiting side included two celebrated English batsmen, Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe. This established Gymkhana as a recognised address on the cricket map. Gymkhanas history is also inseparable from the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup, established in 193031 under the patronage of Nawab Moin-ud-Dowlah. This invitational tournament brought together leading Indian cricketers and visiting international players. For years, the ground was closely associated with the Secunderabad Union Club (SUC), formed in 1888, and was widely known as the SUC Grounds, although the name Gymkhana remained more familiar. In the 1960s, when the racecourse moved to Malakpet, the Andhra Pradesh Sports Council and the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) leased the cricket, hockey and football grounds from the Cantonment Board, strengthening the venues role in organised sport. In 197879, the HCA shifted its headquarters from Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, formerly known as Fateh Maidan, to Gymkhana. This turned the ground into an administrative centre, a training base and an important hub for the development of Hyderabad cricket. It hosted matches during the 1997 Womens Cricket World Cup and has also staged the Irani Cup. Its association with touring teams continued well into the modern era. Gymkhana became a regular venue for Ranji Trophy cricket from the 198283 season, although major matches had previously been played at Fateh Maidan. Its history also reflects Hyderabads changing fortunes. The team reached the Ranji Trophy final in 198687 and won the Irani Cup in 198788. Gymkhanas story would be incomplete without a mention of a major controversy. In September 2022, thousands of fans turned up to obtain physical tickets for the IndiaAustralia T20I scheduled at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The situation turned chaotic, a stampede-like crush developed, and the police resorted to a lathi-charge. More than 20 people were reported injured. The incident triggered allegations of mismanagement and black marketing, along with a police case against the HCA over alleged cheating and negligence. With Gymkhana entrusted with Hyderabads entire home Ranji Trophy programme this season, the HCA has undertaken substantial renovation work. Under the cricket operations team led by former India international Ambati Rayudu, all nine pitches have been relaid: four with black soil, three with red soil and two with a 5050 mixture. Other modifications have also been carried out at the ground. Also Read: Special Cricket Stories The return of all Hyderabads home fixtures to Gymkhana offers the venue a chance to reconnect with its past while meeting the demands of modern first-class cricket. Uppal may be Hyderabads modern international showcase, but Gymkhana remains one of the places where the citys cricketing identity was formed.