A promising start to the first edition of Andhra Premier League T-20 cricket championship

The Andhra Premier League T-20 championship gives young cricketers an opportunity to rub shoulders and learn from big names in the field

It will be a different kind of monsoon magic for the cricket lovers of the City of Destiny in the ongoing inaugural edition of the Shreeram Group-sponsored Andhra Premier League (APL) T-20 cricket championship featuring six franchisees.

For Andhra Cricket Association and the Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association which have won all-round appreciation for the successful conduct of international fixtures over the last few years, this APL can well be another feather in the cap.

The APL is conceptualised with the intent of providing a chance for the average fan of the high-profile Indian Premier League to see the domestic talent available and also give the young talent a feel of what it means to play in coloured clothing and white balls.

Not surprisingly, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given the go-ahead to its affiliated unit, ACA, to host the event. For the record, the six franchisees — Uttarandhra Lions of KVR Estates, Rayalaseema Kings of Dasaradharam Reddy, Godavari Titans of Malvin Global Energy, Coastal Riders of Surya Granites, Bezwada Tigers of Andhra Hospitals and Vizag Warriors of Pulsus Group — will vie for top honours.

With former Andhra Ranji cricketers Sathyaprasad Yachendra, heading the Governing Council of the APL, and the other members including R V Ch Prasad, former Ranji captain, G V V Gopala Raju as members, the cricketers and the officials involved in the conduct may not have any scope for complaints.

For someone who played the game when there were no proper training facilities and these kinds of leagues were not even a distant dream, they know exactly what the players, administrators and the fans look for.

That six teams with 20 players each were picked from the auction comprising about 400 players itself is proof, if needed, that the ACA has done its homework pretty well in terms of extending an opportunity for the young and the experienced cricketers to be in contention.