The first edition of the Andhra Premier League (APL) nears its conclusion as we move towards the tournament's qualifier stage.
Four top teams out of six have qualified for the playoffs and are set to battle it out for the prestigious trophy.
The first qualifier will see Coastal Riders and Bezawada Tigers lock horns against each other to secure a place in the all-important final.
After having a shaky start to their campaign with two consecutive defeats, Coastal Riders made a remarkable comeback and entered the knockouts by winning their last three encounters.
On the other hand, Bezawada Tigers have been reasonably consistent in the tournament, ensuring their participation in the qualifier.
Match details
Venue: Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA – VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
Date and Time: July 15 at 6.30 PM IST & local time
Live streaming: FanCode app and website, Star Sports 1 Telugu
Pitch report
Key players
Mitta Lekhaz Reddy has been the most prolific batter for Coastal Riders, with 109 runs at a good average of 36.33.
Pyla Avinash has been the top scorer for Bezawada Tigers with 117 runs at a pretty healthy average of 39. His consistency has been one of the significant reasons behind the Tigers' success in the tournament.
Cheepurapalli Stephen is in a marvellous touch with the ball for the Riders as the left-arm seamer has picked seven wickets at a decent strike rate of 15.42.
CREX XI
Wicket-keeper: Mitta Lekhaz Reddy
Batsmen: Bodapati Sumanth, CR Gnaneshwar, Pyla Avinash, Sirla Hima Srinivas
All-rounders: Pinniti Tapaswi, B Munish Varma
Bowlers: Bandaru Ayyappa, Cheepurapalli Stephen, Siraparapu Ashish, Lalith Mohan
Captain: Mitta Lekhaz Reddy
Vice-captain: Cheepurapalli Stephen