Hyderabad, Feb. 6: After years off the pitch, Azharuddin could be back playing to the gallery again this weekend — on a Telengana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) stage.

“He isn’t averse to the idea of entering politics,” party chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao said after a lunch meeting with the former India skipper at the home of a common friend, the editor of an Urdu daily.

Karimnagar, where the TRS has lined up a rally on February 9, could be the ground for the new innings, with Rao saying Azhar “might appear” with other leaders.

The buzz is growing that the former cricketer could bat for the TRS during the coming civic election campaign.

Asked if he was developing a taste for politics, Azhar would say little beyond confirming the luncheon. The editor friend, too, didn’t say what was cooking but added: “Both relished the pathar ka gosht and the handi biryani we served.”

Some TRS leaders, however, felt that Azhar, whose cricket career ended after match-fixing charges, was unlikely to take a decision in a hurry.