The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has launched the Women’s Andhra Premier League (WAPL), a four-team franchise-based tournament that begins on Saturday, September 19, 2026 and concludes on September 27, 2026. All matches will be played day and night at Mangalagiri.
The ACA obtained BCCI permission before staging the tournament. Former India captain Mithali Raj has been appointed brand ambassador of the WAPL, lending the inaugural edition a prominent face from the state’s cricketing history.
The ACA conducted an awareness programme ahead of the tournament, which included an all-woman bike ride of 100 women from Vijayawada to Mangalagiri. The association had also run women’s league matches in the previous two years before converting to the current franchise format for this edition.
Why did ACA choose a four-team format for the inaugural WAPL?
The ACA settled on four teams for the inaugural edition based on the available player pool in Andhra Pradesh. ACA president Kesineni Sivanath, who is also a Lok Sabha member, confirmed that the association has a sufficient number of players to support the competition at this scale.
“Yes, we have the player pool. 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. 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,” Sivanath said as quoted by Cricbuzz.
“The Women’s World Cup was also held in Andhra, and since then, a lot of players have shown interest. We have four teams because we have a pool of players. Hopefully, by next year, we will have six teams,” he added.
The WAPL also aims to create a pathway for more players from the state to reach the national side. Andhra Pradesh left-arm spinner Shree Charani, who represents India, is among the players cited as an example of the talent the state can produce.
“We’re confident the women’s league will also become popular like the men’s league. We want to encourage them. We have started the Women’s Andhra Premier League in a mode where more players like Shree Charani can come from the state,” said Sivanath.
The BCCI has not expanded the Women’s Premier League beyond five teams, citing uncertainty about sufficient player availability at the national level. The Mumbai Cricket Association has previously held a three-team women’s league. The WAPL’s four-team structure places it among the larger state-level women’s franchise competitions in the country.
What crowd numbers is the ACA targeting for the WAPL?
The ACA has pointed to the success of the men’s Andhra Premier League as a benchmark for what the women’s edition can achieve. The men’s tournament draws between 15,000 and 20,000 spectators per match at Mangalagiri, and the association is confident the WAPL can generate a similar response from local supporters.
The awareness campaign, including the 100-woman bike ride from Vijayawada to Mangalagiri, was part of the ACA’s effort to build public interest before the tournament’s opening day. All matches being scheduled as day-night fixtures is expected to make attendance more accessible for spectators across the region.
