Hyderabad: The city will witness a special night honoring one of India’s greatest cricketers, Syed Kirmani, at the Hyderabad launch of his autobiography Stumped that will take place at the Taj Deccan on Sunday, August 10. The Hyderabad edition will be officially launched by Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy.
The event follows the book’s first unveiling at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on 29 December 2024, where Kirmani’s memoir was launched amid a galaxy of cricketing greats including Kapil Dev, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, EAS Prasanna and BS Chandrasekhar, and attended by dignitaries such as former deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy.
Syed Kirmani writes
In Stumped, Kirmani writes about his own transformation from Bengaluru’s backstreets and his initial association with Hyderabad, where he studied in school at St. Paul’s and All Saints, to becoming India’s legendary wicket-keeper and a cornerstone of the 1983 World Cup side.
The book is not afraid of the ups and downs of a long career: “Everybody has good times, bad times, ups and downs, this is the untold story of my life. The true facts without bias or prejudice,” says Kirmani.
In another candid paragraph he ponders, “Because of my popularity my career was on the ascent, and this generated a sense of jealousy in a lot of people,” giving readers an inside perspective on the stresses behind the gloves.
Who will be at the Hyderabad book launch event?
The Hyderabad launch will be graced by 1983 World Cup teammates Mohinder Amarnath and Kirti Azad, and will see local sporting legends from across disciplines in attendance, including Saina Nehwal, Pullela Gopichand, Mohammad Azharuddin and Parupalli Kashyap. Their presence underscores Kirmani’s cross-sport appeal and the city’s rich sporting heritage.
For many in Hyderabad the evening will have an added emotional resonance: Kirmani’s deep links to the city and his early schooling there make the launch a homecoming as much as a literary event.
The gathering is expected to draw members of the cricket fraternity, sports enthusiasts and invited guests keen to celebrate the life and legacy of a man who kept India safe behind the stumps for over a decade.
