13-07-2025
APL Season-4 to commence from August 8
Visakhapatnam: Andhra Premier League (APL) governing council chairman RV Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao and Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) secretary and Rajya Sabha member Sana Satish Babu mentioned that APL Season 4 provides a rare platform for aspiring cricketers in rural areas to showcase their talent and play at various tournaments, including IPLs and ODIs.
Briefing the media about APL Season-4 details here on Saturday, Ranga Rao informed that the Season-4 matches are scheduled to commence from August 8. He said tournaments like APL would help in providing an exposure for the cricket players in rural areas. The APL will be a good platform to encourage and promote new talent in cricket, he informed.
The governing council chairman mentioned that the franchise fee was Rs 75 lakh in the past and now it has been increased to Rs 2 crore. Further, he informed that seven franchises have come forward for APLSeason-4, while there were only six franchises in the past.
The players' auction for APL Season-4 will be held on July 14 in Visakhapatnam. Some of the main players have been retained by the franchises. About 21 league matches and four play-offs and a total of 25 matches will be played as part of the season, Sujay Krishna added.
ACA secretary Satish Babu mentioned that cricket players who perform in the APL will be given a chance in Andhra cricket team.
He said steps are being taken to telecast these APL matches live on a leading channel.
All matches will be played at Dr YSR ACA VDCA International Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Next year, APL matches will be organised in Mangalagiri, Vizag and Kadapa stadiums, he added. Satish Babu informed that four or five new awards will be given to encourage cricket players in the APL and the prize money for them will be huge.
Similarly, to encourage women cricket players in the State, Satish Babu said the ACA will host Andhra Cricket Women T20 League matches and the schedule will be released soon. He expressed confidence that more than 10 players from ACA will get a chance to play in the IPL this year.
