An aerial view of the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. File
| Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak
The fifth season of the Andhra Premier League (APL) will be inaugurated at the Dr. YSR ACA-VDCA Stadium on June 9, officials of the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) announced on Wednesday (May 27, 2026).APL Governing Council chairman Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao released the schedule on Wednesday. This year’s tournament will feature seven teams, Bhimavaram Bulls, Royals of Rayalaseema, Vijayawada Sunshiners, Amaravathi Royals, Simhadri Lions, Kakinada Kings and Thungabhadra Warriors, competing in a round-robin league format across three cities, Visakhapatnam, Kadapa and Mangalagiri.Simhadri Lions will face Kakinada Kings in the opening fixture at Visakhapatnam. The Dr. YSR ACA-VDCA International Cricket Stadium will host 11 matches till June 14. Day matches will begin at 1.30 p.m. and day/night matches at 7.30 p.m. The Kadapa leg will begin on June 17 and the Mangalagiri leg on June 24.ACA president Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) and secretary Sana Satish Babu said the tournament would bring out top talent from across Andhra Pradesh and raise the profile of domestic cricket in the region.Over 550 cricketers from Andhra have registered for the recently held APL auction. All seven teams have been practising at different venues across the State. Published - May 27, 2026 05:15 pm IST
