Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup Tournament

The Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup Tournament is an Indian cricket competition that has been held in Hyderabad (and sometimes nearby Secunderabad) since 1930-31. From 1930-31 to 1937-38, and from 1962-63 to 1973-74, it had first-class status.

In 1930 the Nawab of Moin-ud-Dowlah donated a trophy to be played for each year by a team representing Hyderabad and various invitational teams. Many of the best Indian players played in the tournaments, and in the 1930s several overseas players also played. In the final in 1930-31 Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe played for the Maharaj Kumar of Vizianagram's XI in their victory over the Nawab of Moin-ud-Dowlah's XI, although the key player in the victory was C. K. Nayudu, who made a century and took seven wickets.

In the 1931-32 final Freelooters overwhelmed Aligarh Muslim University Past and Present by 432 runs; for the victors Vijay Merchant and Sorabji Colah each scored a century and Amar Singh took nine wickets. In 1932-33 Freelooters again won the final easily, beating Karachi by an innings and 166 runs, with another century to Colah, one to Dilawar Hussain, and seven more wickets to Amar Singh. The next tournament was in 1934-35, and despite being reinforced by the presence of Learie Constantine, Freelooters lost this time to Retrievers, by three wickets, in a match watched by 15,000 spectators. The last tournament in the 1930s was in 1937-38, when Hyderabad State beat Hyderabad Cricket Association XI by 159 runs.

The advent of the Ranji Trophy in 1934-35, which for the first time brought together teams from all over India in first-class competition, took away some of the interest in the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup. It lost its first-class status after 1938 and became a minor local competition.

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