The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has announced the return of its IPL-style T20 league for women, aiming to provide a major boost to women’s cricket in the region under Mithali Raj’s leadership, reported Cricbuzz. Notably, the upcoming tournament is expected to provide high-octane action and greater opportunities for emerging talent in cricket.

This decision was made during the Annual General Meeting in Vijayawada on June 8. The ACA will relaunch an IPL-style Women’s T20 league. It aims to reinvigorate women’s cricket in the region. The previous Andhra Women’s T20 League, which featured three teams, was discontinued last year.

Men’s Andhra Premier League Set to Take Place from June 22 to July 3

The Men’s Andhra Premier League (APL) is set to take place from June 22 to July 3 at Visakhapatnam’s YSR ACA-VDCA Stadium. The men’s league will feature six teams competing across 19 matches, with two games scheduled each day.

Meanwhile, the Women’s APL matches will be held in Vizianagaram, with the final planned for July 3 in Visakhapatnam. The women’s league will include four teams, also playing two matches daily. ACA will manage the women’s league, but there are intentions to privatize it in the future.

This year, the women’s tournament will be conducted independently from the men’s league. However, there are future plans to hold both leagues simultaneously at the same venue in August to simplify logistics and operations.

Andhra Cricket Association Confirms Return of T20 League for Women

An official from the Andhra Cricket Association shared insights into the motivation behind launching the Women’s Andhra Premier League. The official stated that they are fully dedicated to creating more opportunities and visibility for women cricketers.

“The decision is a testimony of ACA’s focus for women’s cricket in the state. Our president, Kesineni Sivanath (a Lok Sabha member from Vijayawada) and secretary S Satish (a Rajya Sabha member) are clear about their vision for women’s cricket,” the official told Cricbuzz.

Former Indian women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj has been appointed as the convenor for women’s cricket in Andhra Pradesh. The ACA is planning to establish a specialized committee to oversee all women’s cricket activities in the state.

Mithali Raj’s Career in Numbers

Mithali Raj began her international cricket journey at the age of 16 and scored an unbeaten 114 on her ODI debut against Ireland. Over the next two decades, Mithali Raj became a key player in India’s batting lineup.

Mithali Raj represented India across all formats from 1999 to 2022, playing 12 Tests, 232 ODIs, and 89 T20Is. Mithali scored 699 Test runs at an average of 43.68. She amassed 7,805 runs in ODIs at an impressive average of 50.68, including seven centuries and 64 half-centuries.

Mithali retired as the highest run-scorer in women’s ODI history and remains the only woman to surpass 7,000 runs in the format. She scored 2,364 runs in T20Is at an average of 37.52 before retiring from the format in 2019. Her final appearance for India came during the 2022 Women’s World Cup.

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