Mohammad Asaduddin
Mohammad Asaduddin (born 18 May 1990) is an Indian lawyer and politician who briefly competed in first-class cricket as a left-handed batsman.[1] The son of former Indian cricket captain and politician Mohammad Azharuddin from his first marriage, Asaduddin played two Ranji Trophy matches for Goa in December 2018, scoring limited runs without establishing a sustained professional career in the sport.[2] A law graduate, he married Anam Mirza, sister of tennis player Sania Mirza, in 2019 and later entered politics with the Indian National Congress, serving previously as secretary of its Telangana Youth Congress sports cell and assisting in his father's 2023 election campaign before his appointment as General Secretary of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee in June 2025.[3][4]Early life and family background
Birth and upbringing
Mohammad Asaduddin was born on 18 May 1990 in Hyderabad, then part of Andhra Pradesh, India.[2][5] He is the eldest son of former Indian international cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin and his first wife, Naureen, from whom Azharuddin later divorced.[6] Asaduddin grew up in Hyderabad alongside his younger brother, Ayazuddin, in an environment shaped by his father's prominence in professional cricket during the 1980s and 1990s.[5] Details on his early childhood are limited in public records, but he resided in Hyderabad throughout his formative years, later pursuing studies at Osmania University in the same city.[7] The family faced tragedy in 2011 when Ayazuddin died in a car accident at age 19, though this occurred after Asaduddin's childhood.[5]Relation to Mohammad Azharuddin
Mohammad Asaduddin is the elder son of Mohammad Azharuddin, the former captain of the Indian national cricket team, from his first marriage to Naureen.[3][8] Azharuddin and Naureen married in 1987 and had two sons together, with Asaduddin as the firstborn and a younger brother, Ayazuddin.[6] The couple divorced in 1996, after which Azharuddin remarried actress Sangeeta Bijlani, though Asaduddin maintained a close relationship with his father.[6] Asaduddin's familial connection to Azharuddin has notably influenced his public life, mirroring his father's transitions from cricket to politics. Azharuddin, who played 99 Test matches and 174 One Day Internationals between 1984 and 2000, has publicly expressed pride in his son's entry into politics, describing it as an "emotional moment" when Asaduddin was appointed general secretary of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee on June 10, 2025.[9][10] This appointment positions Asaduddin to build on his father's political legacy, as Azharuddin himself served as a Member of Parliament from Secunderabad (2009–2014) and later as president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association.[11] The father-son bond is evident in shared interests, with Asaduddin initially pursuing cricket, debuting in domestic matches before shifting to law and politics, much like Azharuddin's own career evolution amid personal and professional challenges.[8] Despite the divorce, Azharuddin has remained supportive, including in Asaduddin's 2022 marriage to Anam Mirza, sister of tennis player Sania Mirza, highlighting ongoing family ties.[12][10]Education and early interests
Formal education
Mohammad Asaduddin obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from Osmania University in Hyderabad, completing his higher education focused on legal studies.[5][13] This qualification enabled his subsequent entry into the legal profession, aligning with his reported practice as a lawyer prior to deeper involvement in cricket and politics.[10][3] Specific details on his pre-university schooling remain undocumented in available public records, though biographical accounts emphasize the university-level attainment as pivotal to his professional trajectory.[14]Introduction to sports and law
Mohammad Asaduddin, born on May 18, 1990, in Hyderabad, developed an early affinity for cricket influenced by his father, former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin, whose professional career exposed him to the sport from childhood.[15][5] He commenced competitive play in 2009 by representing Hyderabad Colts XI in domestic tournaments, marking his initial foray into organized cricket as a left-handed batsman.[14][5] This progression aligned with his father's legacy, though Asaduddin balanced it with academic pursuits rather than pursuing it full-time initially.[8] Parallel to his sporting endeavors, Asaduddin pursued formal legal education at Osmania University in Hyderabad, where he obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree.[5][16] This qualification equipped him for a professional career in law, reflecting a pragmatic approach to diversify beyond the uncertainties of athletics, especially given the physical demands and short shelf-life of cricket careers.[17] His dual interests in sports and law thus emerged during his formative years in Hyderabad, combining familial sporting heritage with structured legal training to form the basis of his multifaceted profile.[3]Cricket career
Domestic debut and matches
Mohammad Asaduddin made his first-class debut for Goa in the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy against Services at the Dr. Shyamacharan Mental Hospital Ground in Porvorim from 6 to 9 December 2018, batting at number 11 and scoring 2 runs in the second innings as Goa suffered an innings defeat.[18] In his second and final domestic match, Asaduddin featured for Goa against Tripura at Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium in Agartala from 13 to 16 December 2018, opening the batting in the first innings for 15 runs and scoring a duck in the second as Goa lost by 10 wickets; he did not bowl in either innings.[18] These two appearances represented Asaduddin's entire domestic first-class career, amassing 17 runs across three innings at an average of 5.67, with no further competitive matches recorded thereafter.[2][19]Statistical performance and conclusion
Mohammad Asaduddin's recorded professional cricket statistics are confined to first-class matches, where he appeared in two games for Goa during the 2018/19 domestic season.[1]| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Batting Average | Centuries/Fifties | Strike Rate | Catches/Stumpings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC | 2 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 5.66 | 0/0 | 34.69 | 0/- |