The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has officially unveiled the Women’s Andhra Premier League (WAPL), a new franchise-based competition modeled after the existing men’s Andhra Premier League. The inaugural season is set to run from September 19 to September 27, with all matches scheduled to take place under lights in Mangalagiri. This initiative seeks to bolster the profile of women’s cricket within the region and provide a platform for local talent to shine on a competitive stage.
ACA President Kesineni Sivanath, who serves as a Lok Sabha member, emphasized that the state possesses a deep talent pool sufficient to support four franchises. Responding to broader concerns regarding player depth, Sivanath confirmed that the association has secured the necessary permissions from the BCCI to proceed. “Yes, we have the player pool,” Sivanath noted, adding that interest in the sport surged following the Women’s World Cup held in the state. The association aims to expand the league to six teams by next year.
The league transition follows two years of preliminary women’s league matches, with this new format designed to drive empowerment and parity with the men’s version of the tournament. The ACA is specifically looking to foster future stars, highlighting players like India representative and left-arm spinner Shree Charani as benchmarks for success. Legendary cricketer Mithali Raj is currently serving as a key figure behind the association’s developmental efforts.
To generate public interest, the ACA organized an awareness campaign that included a bike rally involving 100 women riding from Vijayawada to Mangalagiri. The leadership remains optimistic about crowd attendance, drawing comparisons to the men’s league, which typically attracts between 15,000 and 20,000 spectators per match. Sivanath stated that he expects a similar level of enthusiasm and fan turnout for the women’s matches this season. The report also notes that it starts on Saturday (September 19) and concludes on September 27. The report also notes that comprising 100 women, was organised from Vijayawada to Mangalagiri, an all-woman bike ride. The report also notes that as the men’s league did. “We used to get 15,000 to 20,000 people for all the men’s matches, and we are confident the same kind of turnout will be, the ACA president is confident that the league will see a record turnout. The report also notes that the ACA undertook awareness programmes, ahead of the launch of the league.
