Published: April 24, 2026 at 6:49 pm
The Andhra Premier League (APL) 2026 is set to usher in another exciting season of competitive cricket, featuring top emerging talent from across Andhra Pradesh and offering a strong platform for young cricketers to showcase their skills.
APL 2026 will feature seven teams, with the auction purse for each franchise increased from ₹45 lakh to ₹55 lakh per team. The player auction for the fifth edition of the tournament is scheduled to be held on April 26, 2026, at Radisson Blu Resort, Visakhapatnam. A total of 558 players has registered for the auction, while 33 players have already been retained by the franchises ahead of the upcoming season. The auction proceedings will be conducted by Navneeth Krishna.
The league matches will be held across three venues, Mangalagiri, Kadapa and Visakhapatnam, underlining the tournament’s growing footprint and its commitment to taking quality cricket to fans across the state. The APL bridges the gap between district and national-level cricket.
Thaman is the youngest player in the auction
Among the registered players, Thaman Kotagiri, born on 11-01-2011, is the youngest participant in the auction pool, reflecting the league’s role in identifying and encouraging young cricketing talent from Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking on the occasion, Sujay Krishna Rangarao, chairman of the Governing Council, Andhra Premier League, said: “APL 2026 marks another important step in our commitment to strengthening the cricketing ecosystem in Andhra Pradesh. With a larger auction purse, a strong pool of registered players and matches across key venues, we are confident that this season will not only deliver high-quality cricket but also create greater opportunities for young talent to emerge and perform on a bigger stage.”
APL 2026 marks another important step in our commitment to strengthening the cricketing ecosystem in Andhra Pradesh, said Sujay Krishna Rangarao, chairman of the Governing Council, Andhra Premier League
Launched in 2022 by the ACA, APL has grown into one of the most promising franchise cricket leagues in India. It gives young and aspiring cricketers from Andhra Pradesh a platform to shine and earn attention.
The fourth edition of the APL was held from August 8 to 23, 2025 and all the 25 matches were hosted at the Dr YSR ACA-VDCA International Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. This time around, the tournament will be held across three venues.
The inaugural tournament in 2022 was won by Coastal Riders, while Rayalseema Kings had annexed the crown in 2023. In 2024, it was the turn of Vizag Warriors to emerge victories.
Tungabhadra Warriors are the defending champions
Last year, Tungabhadra Warriors asserted their domination in the tournament. Though they had finished second in the league table, the K Maheep Kumar-led Warriors had topped table toppers Capital Amaravathi Royals, led by international player G H Vihari, in the final.
Batting first, Capital Amaravathi Royals had scored 194 for seven but Tungabhadra Warriors were more than up to the task as they replied with 195 for five with two overs to spare.
It will be interesting to see if any of the previous winners make it a double this year or will a new champion emerge in the fifth edition of the tournament.
The retained players announced by the seven franchises are:
Simhadri Vizag Lions: Ricky Bhui, Marthala Dhanush, K Haneesh Veera Reddy, Shaik Mohammad Kamil and Roshan Pavan Kumar.
Kakinada Kings: Pinninti Tapaswi, Golamaru Manish, Mitta Lekhaz, KP Sai Rahul and Anjaneyulu Midde.
Capital Amaravati Royals: Karan Shinde, Bandaru Ayyappa, Yara Sandeep, S V Rahul and SDNV Prasad.
Vijayawada Sunshiners: Ashwin Hebbar, G Sai Venkata Sumith, Zaheer Abbas, M Abhinav and A Lalith Mohan.
Bhimavaram Bulls: Hemanth Reddy, Revanth Reddy, T V Sai Sravan, Munish Varma and Satyanarayana Raju.
Tungabhadra Warriors: CR Gnaneshwar, M Deepak, MK Datta Reddy, Gutta Rohit and Saurabh Kumar.
Royals of Rayalaseema: SK Rasheed, J Saketh Ram and S Dhruva Kumar Reddy.
