Third season of Andhra Premier League to commence from 30 June in Kadapa and Vizag!

S R Gopinath Reddy, the secretary of the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), has declared the commencement of the third season of the Andhra Premier League (APL) from 30 June to 13 July 2024. He conveyed this news to the press on Thursday, stating that the APL is being organized under the guidance of ACA president Sarath Chandra Reddy, with the objective of promoting sports talent in the state.

The season will feature a total of 19 matches, with seven taking place in Kadapa and the remaining 12 in Visakhapatnam. Gopinath Reddy emphasized that the ACA is committed to nurturing local talent, with around 1,000 players already chosen through screenings at three centers. He also mentioned that six teams will be participating in the APL, providing an opportunity for six to 12 new players.

In addition, Gopinath Reddy announced a partnership with a new software provider, ‘Sports Mechanic’, which has an agreement with the BCCI. This provider will showcase the players’ historical performance, talent, and statistics. He also revealed that Star Sports will broadcast the APL in Telugu and other languages, potentially reaching 25 to 30 lakh viewers.

Gopinath Reddy further stated that the franchises will acquire a total of 452 players through an auction. He noted that several players who have participated in the APL have also secured a place in the IPL. In the recent APL season-3 auction, K Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is currently playing for the Sunrisers team in the IPL, was bought by the Marlin Godavari Titans team for a record Rs 15.60 lakh. The auction saw the selection of 408 players from across the state in four categories, with six franchises from various groups participating.

The auction for the Andhra Premier League 2024 was attended by ACA treasurer AV Chalam, APL Governing Council members Jitendranath Sharma, Vinod Kumar, Auction Officer Navneet Krishna, and others.