With the Indian Premier League as inspiration, residents of Arihant Apartments on Raja Annamalai Road, Purasawalkam, started Arihant Premier League (APL) three years ago. Since then, it has become a premier event on their calendar.
The fourth edition of APL will be conducted this summer.
“After the IPL started, we wanted to have a cricket tournament based on the format. The women were especially keen on playing in the tournament,” says Rajesh Shah, a resident and one of the organisers.
The day-long event starts at 6.30 a.m.
“The men and older children are divided into teams and they play first. Then, the women and younger children have their matches, after which we have the semi-finals and finals,” says Rajesh.
The organisers try to stay as true to the IPL format as they can, allowing certain concessions to suit all the players.
“The residents are quite enthusiastic about the whole process; choosing names and dress codes for their teams. Since we cannot have a full 20-over match, we follow a 10-over format,” says Rajesh.
“We also have various awards for various categories, which include ‘Man of the Match’, ‘Best Batsman’ and ‘Best Bowler’.
The winners and runners-up receive the APL Cup and APL Shield, respectively.
