Visakhapatnam within the grip of World Cup fever

The 12 months 2025 was stuffed with sudden surprises for cricket fans in North Andhra, significantly in Visakhapatnam. It was throughout Sankranthi this 12 months, the newly-appointed physique of the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) introduced that the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals had expressed curiosity in making Vizag their official second house.

Determined to not miss the chance, the ACA has begun renovating the two-decade previous Dr YSR ACA VDCA stadium with a funds of ₹40 crore, giving it a model new look. The outcomes had been rapid and spectacular. Visakhapatnam was awarded two IPL matches that includes the Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Supergiants, Sunrisers Hyderabad, giving native followers an opportunity to witness cricketing stars like Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Travis Head, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant in motion on house floor.

The electrifying matches and top-tier amenities drew the eye of prime cricketing dignitaries, together with ICC Chairman Jay Shah, BCCI officers, and different stalwarts of the game. Riding on the success of this internet hosting, Vizag earned the chance of being named one of many 5 host cities for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.

“It is an honour to be one of many 5 hosts of the world cup. The help from ICC Chairman Jay Shah, BCCI officers was unwavering. All preparations had been put in place for the celebrated event. We have created finest amenities for the gamers,” says ACA Secretary, Sana Satish. 

Though Visakhapatnam has by no means hosted a Women’s World Cup match earlier than, it did host a Men’s ICC World Cup match between Australia and Kenya in 1996, through which Australia defeated Kenya by 97 runs. The final Women’s World Cup match hosted in undivided Andhra Pradesh was in 1997 on the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Vijayawada, between England and Pakistan, through which England defeated Pakistan by 230 runs. 

So, after 29 years, Visakhapatnam has been given the chance to host 5 matches of the event, which embody two matches of Team India. India performed South Africa on October 9, adopted by a marquee match towards Australia on October 12. The remaining three matches are South Africa vs Bangladesh on October 13, Australia vs Bangladesh on October 16 and England vs New Zealand on October 26. Apart from the match between England and New Zealand, the remaining matches are Day & Night. 

Meeting their favourites

The World Cup fever truly started throughout August within the metropolis, when the Indian Women’s Cricket Team arrived for a week-long coaching camp on the Dr YSR ACA-VDCA Stadium. Fans used to collect in massive numbers exterior the group’s resort in Rushikonda every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite gamers and take photographs as they headed to observe. Adding to the thrill, IT Minister Nara Lokesh participated in a pleasant interplay with the cricketers that was warmly obtained by the general public. 

The momentum continued with the World Cup Trophy Tour organised by the BCCI, which noticed the trophy displayed at distinguished vacationer spots throughout the town, together with RK Beach, Kailasagiri, and Rushikonda. Cricket followers thronged these places for an opportunity to see the trophy up shut and take selfies with it, many witnessing it for the primary time. 

Under the management of ACA President Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) and Secretary Sana Satish, the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has left no stone unturned in getting ready the venue. Welcome boards have been put in on the stadium, and groundsmen are working diligently to offer the pitch and outfield last touches. The match on October 9 marked the first-ever World Cup fixture on the stadium below its newly put in LED floodlights. 

In a particular initiative by the ACA and the Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association (VDCA), lady college students from numerous colleges and faculties throughout the town had been invited to witness the historic match stay. As an added honour, a number of of them can even get the chance to be current with the gamers in the course of the nationwide anthems. To make sure the tickets can be found at inexpensive costs, the ACA has mounted a beginning value of ₹100 for all of the matches, whereas it’s ₹150 for the marquee match between India and Australia on October 12. 

“We by no means had an opportunity to witness a World Cup match stay, so it is a large alternative. It is not only about watching India, we can even get to see prime worldwide groups like Australia, Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, and South Africa,” says P Ashwini, a scholar and cricket fan from Gayatri College for Women. She provides that she is very excited to see Indian stars Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Jemimah Rodrigues in motion. 

V Amulya, a B Tech scholar from Dr L Bullayya College, shars her enthusiasm for one match particularly. “I’m excited for the India vs Australia recreation. India and Australia by no means disappoint, particularly in World Cup clashes. The current collection between them was intense, however India misplaced the decider, however now it’s time for a robust comeback” 

Ahead of the marquee match between India-Australia, the ACA will inaugurate the Mithali Raj Stand and the Raavi Kalpana stand on the Dr YSR ACA-VDCA Cricket stadium on October 12. This is alleged to be the marking a first-of-its-kind tribute to ladies cricketers on the stadium. 

The resolution was taken after Indian Vice Captain Smriti Mandhana highlighted the absence of stadium stands named after main Indian ladies cricketers, and expressed that renaming stands primarily based on ladies cricketers would honour their contribution, other than inspiring the subsequent technology of ladies to enter cricket as a occupation. Acting on Mandhana’s enchantment, Nara Lokesh instantly consulted the ACA, resulting in a immediate decision to honour ladies’s cricket icons by naming stands after them on the Vizag venue. 

“It will probably be one other feather within the cap for the Vizag. During  2016, Vizag hosted an ODI between India and New Zealand, the place Indian gamers together with the then captain MS Dhoni and stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma wore jerseys bearing their moms’ names, paying tribute to the position of moms of their lives,” says a senior official from the ACA, including: “Now, with stadium stands being named after ladies cricketers, Vizag will as soon as once more create an enduring reminiscence,”