The inaugural edition of the Andhra Premier League (APL) is all set to commence from July 6.
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The inaugural edition of the Andhra Premier League (APL) is all set to commence from July 6. Six franchises will be vying for the title in the inaugural edition with star players from Ranji trophy touted to be a part of the domestic T20 league. The franchise logos for the respective sides were unveiled by the franchisee owners and the ACA officials in Visakhapatnam.
The franchises have taken the initial rights for a period of three years. Andhra Pradesh Cricket Association (ACA) CEO M. Siva Reddy believes that it will be the biggest moment for cricket in the state after the first Ranji Trophy match in 1953. All the matches in the tournament will follow the Board of Control For Cricket in India (BCCI) norms and anti-corruption officers from the Indian cricket board would oversee the tournament.
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The matches would be telecast live by Star Sports (Telugu), which has purchased the telecast rights for INR 2 crore and on a daily basis two matches would be played. One will be played from 1 p.m. to 4.20 p.m. and the other will be played from 6.30 p.m. to 9.50 p.m.
The teams include Uttarandhra Lions which was sold to KVR Estates; Rayalaseema Kings (Dasaradharam Reddy); Godavari Titans (Malvin Global Energy); Coastal Riders (Surya Granites); Bezwada Tigers (Andhra Hospitals); and Vizag Warriors (Pulsus Group). The franchises have taken the initial rights for a period of three years.
The APL player auction will take place on June 24. The auction will see around 370 players go under the hammer with auctioneer Charu Sharma conducting the proceedings. The final draft of the players were picked from 452 applications, based on their track record in 1:3 ratio, said former Ranji player and member of the government council R.V. CH Prasad.
It has been determined that 12 premier players, who have featured in the Ranji trophy, will be ready to go under the hammer with each team having a limit to pick at least two such players. The base price for premier players had been fixed at INR 2 lakh with the player purchase kitty being limited to INR 30 lakh for each franchisee.
“We are leaving no stone unturned, and the players will be hosted in two-star hotels and ACA for the first season will be bearing the cost of accommodation, food and transport. We are also bearing the player kit to the tune of about ₹30 lakh,” said Gopinath Reddy, treasurer of ACA.
The base price of the players have also been divided into following sections — category A (INR1.5 lakh for 48 players), category B (INR 1 lakh for 83 players) and category C (₹50,000 for the rest). The players range from U-19 zones to Ranji trophy. Each team could have 20 players and four support staff, including the coach and physio.
The title sponsor for the tournament is Shriram Group and it would be called as Shriram APL.
