AP High Court stays APL auctions

The High Court of Andhra Pradesh has directed the Andhra Cricket Association not to finalise the ongoing franchise auctions of the Andhra Premier League until further orders are issued

Hyderabad: The High Court of Andhra Pradesh has directed the Andhra Cricket Association not to finalise the ongoing franchise auctions of the Andhra Premier League until further orders are issued.

“The direction comes in response to a writ petition filed jointly by six existing franchise owners — Vizag Warriors, Bezwada Tigers, Coastal Riders — challenging the ACA’s unilateral decision to invite new franchise bids without consulting or securing the consent of current stakeholders,” one of the franchise owners informed Telangana Today on Friday.

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It may be mentioned here that the franchise owners alleged that the ACA initially offered an 18-year operational tenure to each franchise, reaffirmed through verbal and written assurances.

“However, after the change in government in Andhra Pradesh, the ACA has arbitrarily altered the terms, disregarding the previous framework and diluting the commercial confidence of existing teams,” the franchise owner pointed out.

“The sudden reversal and call for new auctions — without recognizing prior contracts or the ₹25–30 crore collective investment made by the franchises — amounts to a clear breach of trust and legitimate expectation,” he said.

In fact, in a joint representation submitted to the ACA officials on May 13, the franchise owners pointed out that APL had grown steadily over the past three seasons, gaining fan support and visibility, with the franchises playing a critical role in talent development, grassroots promotion, and brand building.

“Despite their efforts, uncertainty around schedules, lack of early announcements, and poor coordination have hindered recovery of operational costs and profitability,” the franchises pointed out.

“And none of the franchises have achieved break-even or profitability despite full three seasons, primarily due to last-minute planning cycles and operational uncertainty,” the franchise owner said.

The franchises also requested that the ACA announce the APL schedule at least three months in advance and form a franchise coordination committee for planning and dispute resolution.