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Mohd Azharuddin sworn in as minister in Telangana cabinet
Born in Hyderabad on February 8, 1963, Azharuddin rose from a modest background to become one of India’s most stylish and successful cricket captains before making his mark in politics.
Senior Congress leader and former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin was on Friday sworn in as a minister in the Telangana state cabinet headed by chief minister A Revanth Reddy.
State governor Jishnu Dev Varma administered the oath of office and secrecy to Azharuddin at the Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad.
Apart from the chief minister, all his cabinet colleagues, senior Congress leaders, state assembly speaker G Prasad Kumar, government advisors and senior IAS and IPS officers were also present at the event.
Azharuddin took the oath in English in the name of “Allah” and raised “Jai Telangana” and “Jai Hind” slogans after being sworn in. Later, he greeted the governor and the chief minister with bouquets and thanked them.
Born in Hyderabad on February 8, 1963, Azharuddin rose from a modest background to become one of India’s most stylish and successful cricket captains before making his mark in politics.
Azharuddin completed his schooling at All Saints High School in Abids, Hyderabad — a reputed institution known for nurturing sporting talent. He later pursued a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) degree at Nizam College, one of the city’s oldest and most prestigious colleges.
Inspired by his maternal uncle Zainul Abuddin, Azharuddin turned to cricket early in life. His elegant batting style and consistency quickly earned him recognition in domestic circuits, paving the way for his entry into international cricket.
He made his international debut for India in 1984, marking the beginning of a glorious cricketing career. Azharuddin immediately captured the attention of the cricketing world by scoring centuries in each of his first three Test matches — a rare and historic feat that established him as a player of exceptional talent and temperament.
In 1989, he was appointed captain of the Indian cricket team, a position he held for several years with distinction. Over a professional career spanning 16 years, Azharuddin played 99 Test matches and 334 One Day Internationals (ODIs), earning admiration for his wristy stroke-play and calm leadership.
Following his retirement from cricket, Azharuddin entered public life. On February 19, 2009, he joined the Indian National Congress and soon contested the Lok Sabha elections from Moradabad constituency in Uttar Pradesh, winning the seat the same year.
Recognising his popularity and leadership within the party, the Congress later appointed him as working president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) in 2018. He contested as an MLA candidate from Jubilee Hills assembly constituency in the 2023 elections but lost to Maganti Gopinath of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi.
In August this year, the Revanth Reddy cabinet recommended Azharuddin’s name for the MLC post, along with Prof M Kodandaram, under governor’s quota. The file, however, has been pending with the Raj Bhavan due to an ongoing case before the Supreme Court regarding the earlier MLC nominations under the governor’s quota.
Pending approval from the governor, the Congress high command gave the nod for the induction of Azharuddin in the state cabinet, since there is no representation of any minority leaders in the cabinet. He will have to become a member of the legislative council within six months.
