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The Hindu
07-08-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Andhra Premier League-4 begins today
Visakhapatnam is all set to host Season 4 of the Andhra Premier League (APL), which will begin on August 8. This year's edition promises to be bigger and better, with more teams, more matches, and grander celebrations. The buzz around APL 2025 is already high, as franchises have ramped up fan engagement with jersey launch events, promotional photoshoots, and social media campaigns. In a major highlight, the APL Governing Council hosted a grand trophy launch ceremony featuring all team captains. Adding to the excitement, an official anthem composed by popular music director Sri Charan Pakala has also been released. Speaking at a press conference held at the ACA-VDCA Stadium on Thursday, APL Governing Council Chairman Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao announced that Union Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and Tollywood actor Venkatesh Daggubati will be attending the opening ceremony. Actor Venkatesh, who was recently named the official brand ambassador for the season, will add star power to the event, he said. The opening night will feature live performances by actress Pragya Jaiswal and Sri Charan Pakala, followed by a spectacular drone and laser show. Ranga Rao also revealed that, in a major step to raise the league's standards in line with the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Decision Review System (DRS) will be introduced for the first time this season. For fans watching from home, matches will be broadcast on Sony Sports 4 (English) and Sony Sports 5 (Telugu), with streaming available on the FanCode app. This year, the tournament sees the addition of a seventh team, up from six last year. The number of matches has also increased significantly from 15 to 25, offering more opportunities for players to shine. Ranga Rao emphasised that talent scouts from various IPL franchises have been invited, making this a valuable platform for aspiring cricketers to showcase their skills. ACA President K. Sivanadh (Chinni) and ACA Secretary Sana Satish reviewed the final arrangements at the stadium on Thursday, ensuring everything is in place for the much-anticipated cricketing extravaganza
New Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
APL Season 4 is set to begin from August 8
VISAKHAPATNAM: The Andhra Premier League (APL) Season 4 is set to begin from August 8 at the ACA-VDCA International Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The details were announced at a press conference held at the stadium on Saturday by APL Governing Council Chairman Rao Venkata Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao and Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Sana Satish Babu. Ranga Rao said the tournament will be held in IPL format, and will be conducted in a more organised and grand manner than previous seasons. 'This year, seven franchises have come forward to participate, as compared to six in earlier seasons. The franchise fee, which was Rs 75 lakh in previous editions, has now been increased to Rs 2 crore. The player pool has also grown from 430 to 520 cricketers. Players have been divided into four categories including Top-seeded players (including former India and IPL players), Grade A (21 players), Grade B (112 players), and Grade C (378 players),' he said. The player auction will take place at Radisson Blu Hotel in Visakhapatnam on July 14. Teams have already retained some of their main players from previous seasons. This season will include 21 league matches and four playoffs, making it a total of 25 matches. Satish said all matches of this season will be held in Vizag. He informed that from next year, APL matches will be held in different regions, including Mangalagiri, Vizag, and Kadapa. He added that companies like Steel Exchange of India and Maitri have joined this season as franchise owners.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
APL Season 4 auction: 520 players to go under the hammer on July 14
The much-awaited fourth season of the Andhra Premier League (APL) is set to be organised from August 8 to 24. With the addition of a seventh team and an expanded match schedule, this season promises to be the biggest ever, members of the APL Governing Council said. They also announced that a grand auction event had been scheduled for July 14. Addressing the media at the Dr YSR ACA VDCA International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, APL Governing Council chairman Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao said that this year's tournament would be bigger and better. The response to season 4 of APL has been overwhelming, and it led to the inclusion of more teams and players, he said. 'Last year, we had 430 players in the auction pool. This year, that number has increased to 520. We have also raised the number of matches to 25, including four playoffs. Last year, it was just 15,' Mr. Ranga Rao said. All matches of the season 4 will be played at Dr. YSR ACA VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. However, plans are afoot to host matches across regions from next season onwards. Referring to the auction of players, Mr. Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao said Navneet Krishna has been appointed as the official auctioneer. Each team has been allocated an auction purse of ₹35 lakh, and franchises will bid for 18 to 20 players. In a move aimed at nurturing the young talent, Mr. Ranga Rao said each franchise had been mandated to sign at least two Under-19 players. He cited the example of Vaibhav Suryavamshi, a promising U-19 player, who was recently part of the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. ACA Secretary S. Sathish Babu said that 520 players had registered for the auction. These players have been divided into four categories: nine in the Marquee set, 21 in Grade A, 112 in Grade B, and 378 in Grade C. Additionally, 104 Under-19 players are included in the overall pool, he said. Stars in teams Eight players have already been retained by the franchises ahead of the auction. Hanuma Vihari has been retained by Amaravati Royals, Ashwin Hebbar by Vijayawada SunShiners, and Shaik Rasheed by Royals of Rayalaseema. Tungabhadra Warriors have retained Ch Stephen and K.V. Sasikanth, while Simhadri Vizag Lions have kept Ricky Bhui. Kakinada Kings have retained K.S. Bharat, and Bhimavaram Bulls have held on to K. Nitish Kumar Reddy. Among the marquee players still available for bidding are Pyla Avinash, P.V. Satyanarayana Raju, and T. Vijay, he said. Mr. Sathish Babu reiterated the ACA's commitment to transparency, professionalism, and honing talent. He revealed plans to set up fan parks in selected cities to strengthen local engagement. IPL scouts Highlighting the broader vision of the tournament, Mr. Ranga Rao said the APL aims to identify, nurture, and promote local talent to help them progress to the national level. He confirmed that IPL scouts will be invited again this year, offering players an opportunity to impress and potentially be picked up by IPL franchises. Meanwhile, APL Council members confirmed that discussions are on with multiple broadcasters regarding the live telecast of the matches.
