The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) is set to host the inaugural Women’s Andhra Premier League (WAPL), a new franchise-based competition modeled after the successful men’s Andhra Premier League. The tournament runs from September 19 through September 27, with all fixtures taking place in Mangalagiri as day-night encounters.
Addressing concerns regarding player depth, ACA president Kesineni Sivanath confirmed the association has received permission from the BCCI to proceed. “Yes, we have the player pool,” Sivanath stated. He noted that the state’s hosting of the Women’s World Cup previously sparked significant interest among local athletes. While the league currently features four teams, the ACA aims to expand the roster to six teams by next year. The association has been building toward this milestone by conducting women’s league matches over the past two years, now elevating the format to a professional franchise structure.
The league, which identifies Mithali Raj as a key figure in its development, is part of a broader push by the ACA to promote gender equality in sports. “With the Andhra Women’s Premier League, we want to enhance women’s empowerment. We want to start the Women’s Premier League equally like the men’s Premier League,” said Sivanath, who is also a Lok Sabha member. The initiative is designed to foster local talent, much like current Indian representative and left-arm spinner Shree Charani, who hails from the region.
To build community engagement ahead of the opening, the ACA organized an awareness campaign that included a bike ride from Vijayawada to Mangalagiri featuring 100 women. Looking forward, Sivanath expressed optimism regarding the spectator interest, anticipating a turnout similar to the men’s competition. “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 there for the women’s matches too,” he added. The report also notes that it starts on Saturday (September 19) and concludes on September 27. The report also notes that the BCCI has not expanded the WPL from five teams mainly because it was not sure whether there were sufficient players. The report also notes that the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) held a three-team league for women. The report also notes that a former India cricketer and a legend, the driving force behind the league and the association is Mithali Raj.
