VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada MP and Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) President Kesineni Shivanth (Chinni) announced plans to modernise the Mangalagiri Cricket Stadium and develop it into a major sports hub in AP. He inspected the stadium on Wednesday along with ACA Secretary Sana Satish Babu, representatives, architects and engineers.
He said the ACA has started works to transform the stadium into a state-of-the-art facility with government support. He said Amaravati will soon get an international cricket stadium, while Mangalagiri will host home matches. It will host the opening match of the 2026 Andhra Premier League (APL) Season 5 on June 3.
He said renovation works began on Wednesday to complete the upgrade before the APL opener. He said authorities modernised the Visakhapatnam stadium within 45 days and expect to complete works at Mangalagiri within two months, by May. He said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan and Minister Nara Lokesh will inaugurate the upgraded facility.
“An amount of Rs 5 crore is being spent on installing floodlights and new stands for the APL season. The government is extending full support for the project, including construction of a railway overbridge near the stadium with the cooperation of Union Minister Pemmasani Chandrasekhar,” he said.
Secretary Sana Satish Babu said the stadium will evolve into a multi-discipline sports centre. He said authorities are creating facilities to accommodate 100 to 150 players, along with doctors and physiotherapists.
The ACA plans to develop the Mulapadu Cricket Stadium in NTR district into a Centre of Excellence.