Andrea Becerra, Matias Grande headline Prithviraaj Yodhas APL squad
Hyderabad: Prithviraaj Yodhas, co-owned by actors Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram, with Ebix Group as the title sponsor, have announced their eight-member squad for Season 2 of the Archery Premier League (APL).
The squad brings together leading Indian archers and world-ranked international talent, with the team set to compete in both the Compound and Recurve categories.
The squad features World No. 1 compound archer Andrea Becerra and World No. 3 recurve archer Matias Grande, alongside Abhishek Verma, Kirti Sharma, Thirumuru Ganesh Mani Ratnam, Gatha Anandrao Khadake, Raj Kaur and Juyel Sarkar. The eight-member squad is evenly split between men and women, with representation across both categories.
Prithviraaj Yodhas is co-owned by actors Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram, with Ebix Group as the title sponsor. Lin Laishram is a former national-level archer who won the Junior National Championship in 1998. The partnership brings together Ebix Group’s support for the franchise with the co-owners’ association with the sport and its growing ecosystem in India.
Speaking ahead of the season, an Ebix Group spokesperson said, “The Archery Premier League is creating a strong platform for archers from India and around the world to compete at the highest level while bringing greater visibility to the sport. As the title sponsor of Prithviraaj Yodhas, we are pleased to support a squad that brings together experienced Indian talent and world-class international archers. We look forward to an exciting Season 2 and to seeing the team represent the Yodhas with ambition and determination.”
Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram, co-owners of Prithviraaj Yodhas, said, “Last season, we came very close to winning the title, missing it by just one shoot-off. This year, we have an even stronger team with some of the best international and Indian archers. Our goal is to go all the way and win the title. More importantly, we are happy that the APL is inspiring young Indians, especially girls, to see archery as a professional career. For us, that is just as important as winning.”
The tournament will run from October 8 to 18, 2026, with matches played each evening from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm under lights at People’s Plaza.
The league stage will follow a double round-robin format, with each team playing 10 matches. The top four teams will advance to the semifinals, followed by the final on October 18. A 15-second shot clock per arrow, five seconds faster than the international standard, will add to the pressure.
Matches will be streamed on SonyLIV and Archery+.