Vizag stadium to host five matches of upcoming ICC Women's World Cup: Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath
He addressed the media after the 72nd annual meeting of the ACA held in Vijayawada.
Sivanath also mentioned that One Day International (ODI) matches will also be held soon. He emphasised that the ACA is focused on upgrading Visakhapatnam stadium to international standards.
"ACA plans to build cricket grounds in all 25 districts of Andhra Pradesh. Priority will be given to the construction of new stadiums in Kurnool and Nellore.
Additionally, the association is working towards launching the Andhra Premier League (APL) in the near future," Sivanath added.
The 72nd annual general body meeting (AGM), held at a hotel in Vijayawada, brought together apex council members, district cricket association representatives, and players. This marked the first AGM under Sivanath's leadership and was unanimously described as a success. He noted that since the new body was elected eight months ago, ACA has been working toward sports infrastructure development and talent promotion.
Sivanath said the ACA-VDCA stadium in Visakhapatnam was modernised in just 45 days, enabling the venue to host two IPL matches earlier this year. Though four matches were initially sought, time constraints limited the allocation. He added that both BCCI and ICC officials, including BCCI secretary Jay Shah, expressed satisfaction with the stadium's upgrades, leading to the sanctioning of five Women's World Cup matches and an upcoming ODI.
As part of its long-term infrastructure vision, ACA has submitted a proposal for a world-class international cricket stadium in Amaravati. The association has requested 65 acres of land from the State in the capital region's upcoming Sports City. Sivanath said that the goal is to construct a venue that can accommodate one lakh spectators—comparable to Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. Preliminary discussions were held with the ICC and BCCI, and the proposal has received in-principle approval.
In terms of local development, the ACA announced it would double the annual grants given to district cricket associations—from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh. This financial boost is aimed at strengthening grassroots cricket and increasing the number of local tournaments. Sivanath stated that ACA's objective is to ensure that each affiliated district ground hosts at least 200 days of cricket annually.
ACA secretary Sana Satish highlighted that the meeting focused on district-level cricket advancement. He said associations from across the state proposed ground development plans, and the ACA was committed to helping them materialise. Satish also expressed pride that AP will host ICC Women's World Cup matches for the first time in history.
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