Vijayawada: The grand finale of the Andhra Premier League (APL) will be held at the revamped ACA International Cricket Stadium in Mangalagiri on June 30, with minister for IT and electronics Nara Lokesh expected to attend as the chief guest, Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) president and MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) said on Saturday.
Sivanath said the final phase of the tournament, including the semi-finals and final, will be held in the capital region from June 24 to 30. The league, which began in Visakhapatnam on June 9 before moving to Kadapa, has drawn strong support from cricket fans across the state, he said.
He said all arrangements for the concluding matches in Mangalagiri have been completed and a reserve day has been kept for the final in case of rain or adverse weather conditions. He noted that spectator turnout in Kadapa exceeded expectations, with crowds of 10,000 to 15,000 attending matches despite the venue’s seating capacity being around 7,000 to 8,000.
Highlighting the transformation of the Mangalagiri stadium, Sivanath said the venue had remained underutilised for several years before undergoing extensive modernisation. The stadium has now been upgraded to international standards with facilities comparable to those in Visakhapatnam, including 75 rooms, modern dressing rooms, a gymnasium, commentary boxes, a broadcast centre and a media gallery.
The ACA president said the venue is expected to host cricket activity for nearly 200 days a year, taking into account BCCI fixtures, the APL and the proposed Women’s Premier League. Representatives of district cricket associations and BCCI-affiliated bodies have been invited to the final, while senior BCCI officials are also expected to attend.
Sivanath said Andhra Pradesh is unique in hosting league matches across three venues — Visakhapatnam, Kadapa and Mangalagiri — helping take cricket closer to fans across the state. He expressed confidence that the APL would emerge as a platform for identifying and nurturing talented cricketers from rural areas.
He also credited ACA officials and staff for preparing three venues within a short period and said special cultural and entertainment programmes would be organised on match days to enhance the spectator experience.
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