Step-by-step advice on pathways, clubs, competitions and coaching for getting into girls cricket and women’s cricket in Andhra.
Andhra has one of the best facilities and systems for girl’s and women’s cricket in India. Andhra’s Under-19 girl’s cricket team is one of the strongest in the country.
They won the national tournament in 2015 and 2017 (50-over) and were runners-up in 2019 (20-over). The senior team finished runners-up in the 2019 one-day tournament.
National players R Kalpana, Sneha Deepthi, S Meghana came up through the Andhra system.
Here is how you can join girls cricket in Andhra.
Step by step process
Andhra has state teams for Under-16, Under-19, Under-23 and senior tournaments.
Selection for all of them is based on performances in pathway tournaments, rather than by open trials, as is the norm in many places.
District ➡ Zonal ➡ State
The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has 13 districts. Each district makes its own team at the U16, U19 and senior level. Based on trials and previous experience, girls are chosen for these teams.
- To become a part of this district team, apply to the local district association, or attend one of the summer camps (mixed gender) they hold.
The 13 districts are divided into three zones as follows:
- North: 4 districts i.e. Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, East Godavari
- Central: 4 districts i.e. West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasham
- South: 5 districts i.e. Chittoor, Kurnool, Nellore, Kadapa, Anantapur
In each zone, inter-district matches take place.
Based on performances in these inter-district matches, selectors choose players from each zone to form the respective zonal team.
The inter-zonal tournament is played between these three zonal teams.
Probables are then shortlisted from these available players. The top 15 are chosen for the state team.
This process is repeated for the U16, U19 and senior level. Since a large number of matches are played, the women have good exposure by the time they represent the state.
READ: Convince parents to let you play cricket: How to go about it
A different route
For girls who didn’t make it to the district and zonal sides, there is still a chance. A few years ago, talent scouts attended the summer camps in the districts to identify those talented players who weren’t a part of the district or zonal teams.
Around 20-25 girls were chosen and they got a chance to attend a 20-day state camp and improve their game. Some of them went on to represent the state.
During COVID-19 times, these systems were disrupted. All 39 players were chosen from across the state and divided into three teams. Based on these matches, the state teams were selected.
Contact: Reach out to ACA via office@andhracricket.com
Other opportunities to develop girls cricket in Andhra
- ACA holds regular camps for U16, U19 and senior age groups. Around 25-30 members participate in each.
- Summer camps: State holds month-long senior camp and junior camp, with residential facilities available.
- The Jagarlamudi Narendranath Memorial Quadrangular tournament is a U19 competition with a few other state teams also invited. It was started a few years ago. It hasn’t been a regular feature but is planned to be.
What facilities are available for girls in Andhra?
The main centre for women’s cricket in Andhra is at Mangalagiri. There used to be an excellent academy for women at Guntur, but that recently closed down. Some camps are held at Kadapa and Vizianagaram academies as well, but the focus there is not girls cricket.
The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has developed international standard grounds in the state, which have hosted women’s international matches as well.
Any T20 leagues?
Not yet, just plenty of district-level cricket.
Scholarships
Andhra Cricket Association offers some financial support to girls who are chosen for the academy. This includes a monthly ‘stipend’ of INR 2000 for those who have made it to the zonal level and INR 4000 for those who have made it to the state level.
Due to COVID-19 and administrative issues, this assistance has been suspended for girls. Officials say it is likely the assistance will resume post-COVID.
Some private academies offer free coaching, equipment and education for girls. (See below.)
School cricket
The ACA does not organise inter-school tournaments.
In 2021, a special girls cricket programme was started at the Zilla Parishad High School Kadapanatham in the Chittoor district. The school has cricket nets and coaching for their girls team.
College cricket
While there is no local inter-college tournament, universities take part in the national university games.
Some universities that have featured in the south zone tournament in the last few years:
- Adikavi Nannaya University, Rajamundry,
- Andhra University, Vishakapatnam
- Jawaharlal Nehru Tech University, Kakinada
- SV University, Tirupati
Notable academies near you
The Anantapur Sports Academy has 11 cricket centres across Anantapur district. They also have with coaching and facilities for both boys and girls. Also, players get free training gear.
From here, the top players go to their development centres in Atmakur and Bathalapalli, where their cricket learning continues along with some other subjects.
The next stage is the residential academy at the Anantapur Sports Village where food and education are taken care of as well.
Also, ASA organises the annual rural Ananta Premier League for girls and boys.
If you have information on schools, colleges or academies that support girls cricket in Andhra, contact us and we’ll add it to this page!