Women's T20 league set to return in Andhra Pradesh

The Andhra Pradesh Cricket Association (ACA) confirmed the return of the Women's T20 league following their Annual General Meeting (AGM) on June 8 in Vijayawada. The tournament, which was discontinued in 2024, will be revived with potentially four teams participating in the league, one more than in the previous edition.

If everything goes well, the Women's league could be held independently, although the current plan is to organise both the Men's and Women's leagues during the same period of the year. ACA's T20 leagues are likely to take place in August. If the Women's T20 league gains momentum, there are plans to expand it into a franchise format.

Mithali Raj, the current convener of Women's Cricket in Andhra Pradesh, is likely to form a committee to oversee Women's Cricket in the state. As per a report from Cricbuzz, the committee’s objective could be to establish a selection panel comprising entirely of female representatives.

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ACA's vision for Women's Cricket

Currently, many state leagues are looking to include Women's cricket alongside Men's. The ongoing Maharashtra Premier League is a good example, where Men's matches are being played on the same day as the Women's. Several other boards are likely to take a similar approach. The active involvement of Indian women’s cricket icons such as Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Smriti Mandhana has contributed significantly to the growth of Women's cricket.

ACA released a statement following their AGM, stating that the board's focus is to advance Women's cricket. The association added that Kesineni Sivanath, a Lok Sabha Member from Vijayawada, and S Satish, a Rajya Sabha Member, have a strong vision for the women’s game. An official confirmed that ACA is focused on establishing a solid structure for both Men's and Women's cricket.

"The decision is a testimony of ACA's focus on 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," said an ACA official.