Mangalagiri, Sept 2026 : A new chapter in women’s cricket in Andhra Pradesh began on Saturday with the launch of the inaugural Women’s Andhra Premier League (WAPL) by the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), providing young players from across the state with a platform to showcase their talent and pursue higher-level cricket.
The franchise-based T20 tournament was inaugurated at the ACA International Cricket Stadium in Mangalagiri. Heritage Foods Executive Director Nara Brahmani attended the opening ceremony as chief guest and formally launched the tournament in the presence of former India women’s cricket captain and WAPL brand ambassador Mithali Raj.
Brahmani and Mithali Raj jointly unveiled the WAPL trophy, marking the official beginning of the new competition.
Brahmani was welcomed at the venue by ACA President and MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) and ACA Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Sana Satish Babu. She subsequently participated in the ceremonial lamp-lighting ceremony before joining Mithali Raj for the trophy unveiling.
Speaking at the event, Brahmani welcomed the creation of a dedicated premier league for women cricketers in Andhra Pradesh and described WAPL as an important platform for young players to demonstrate their abilities.
“This is a wonderful platform for young women cricketers in the state to showcase their talent. Given the right opportunities, women can achieve wonders in any field. The players who excel here will become role models for future generations,” she said.
She also congratulated the ACA leadership and the organising team for conducting the tournament in Mangalagiri.
The primary objective of WAPL is to identify promising women cricketers from different parts of Andhra Pradesh, including players from remote areas, and provide them with access to structured competition, training and development opportunities.
The ACA aims to create a pathway through which outstanding performers can progress to higher levels of domestic cricket, including the Women’s Premier League (WPL), and eventually earn opportunities with the Indian women’s cricket team.
The association expects Mithali Raj’s involvement as the league’s brand ambassador to provide additional inspiration and guidance to young players participating in the competition.
The inaugural WAPL season features four franchise teams — Rayalaseema Zen Stars, Godavari Eagles, Amaravati E-Champions and Vizag Fire Birds. A total of 13 matches are scheduled to be played over seven days at the ACA Stadium in Mangalagiri.
The opening match on Saturday afternoon was played between Rayalaseema Zen Stars and Godavari Eagles. Following the inauguration ceremony, Amaravati E-Champions faced Vizag Fire Birds in the second match of the day.
The opening celebrations also featured cultural programmes, adding to the atmosphere at the stadium.
Brahmani was presented with a special memento by the organisers. Among the other dignitaries present were APL Governing Council Chairman Sujay Krishna Rangaraju, ACA Treasurer Dandamudi Srinivas, Apex Council member D. Vishnuteja, Cricket Operations Director Kalyan Krishna and APL Governing Council member YS Ranganath. Tollywood actress Nidhi Agarwal also attended the event.
The launch of WAPL marks a new structured initiative for women’s cricket in Andhra Pradesh, with the league seeking to combine competitive opportunities, talent identification and player development to strengthen the state’s women’s cricket pipeline.
