Bengaluru : Chero Archers, the Jharkhand-based franchise owned by Tata Steel, will return for the second season of the Archery Premier League (APL), scheduled to take place from October 8 to 18, 2026, in Hyderabad.
After reaching the semi-finals and finishing fourth in the inaugural season, Chero Archers have strengthened their line-up for Season 2 with a mix of international stars and some of India’s leading archers. The eight-member squad comprises four recurve and four compound archers, with equal representation of men and women.
The international contingent includes Mathias Fullerton of Denmark, the World No. 1 compound archer, who returns to Chero Archers after an impressive debut season, and Casey Kaufhold of the USA, the World No. 3 recurve archer and bronze medallist at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Indian contingent includes Olympian Atanu Das, who brings experience from the highest level of international competition, and four emerging talents ranked among the top three in their respective categories as per the latest Archery Association of India rankings.
D. B. Sundara Ramam, Vice President – Corporate Services, Tata Steel, said, “The strength of the Archery Premier League lies in the opportunity it creates for Indian archers to compete alongside the best in the world, in a format that brings the sport closer to a wider audience. For Chero Archers, that makes the league a natural extension of what we have been building through our archery programme in Jharkhand. We are delighted to see the league return for its second season and look forward to the Indian archers competing, learning and making their mark.”
Chero Archers will continue to be guided by Padma Shri Purnima Mahato, Head Coach of Tata Archery Academy (TAA) and Recurve Coach of Chero Archers, along with Vivek, who will continue as Compound Coach. A three-time coach of the Indian Olympic Archery Team, Mahato has been closely associated with Tata Steel’s archery programme and has also been named Brand Ambassador of Chero Archers for Season 2.
Tata Steel’s commitment to developing Indian archery will also be represented in other teams in the league. Ankita Bhakat, an athlete from TAA, returns to defending champions Rajputana Royals, while Yuktha Sri Kondapavuluri, another TAA archer, will represent the Chola Chiefs in Season 2. In the inaugural edition, TAA athletes featured across all four teams that reached the semi-finals.
The second season of the APL will feature six franchises and 48 Indian and international archers across recurve and compound disciplines. The league will follow a double round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals ahead of the final on October 18.
Chero Archers – APL Season 2 Squad
| Category | Archer | Selection/Ranking |
| Compound Men | Mathias Fullerton, Denmark | WA Rank 1 |
| Compound Men | Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, India | AAI Rank 1 |
| Compound Women | Prithika Pradeep, India | AAI Rank 3 |
| Compound Women | Jasveer Kaur, India | AAI Rank 6 |
| Recurve Men | Yashdeep Bhoge, India | AAI Rank 3 |
| Recurve Men | Atanu Das, India | AAI Rank 4 |
| Recurve Women | Casey Kaufhold, USA | WA Rank 3 |
| Recurve Women | Kumkum Anil Mohod, India | AAI Rank 2 |
AAI: Archery Association of India | WA: World Archery
Teams competing in APL Season 2
- Chero Archers
- Chola Chiefs
- Kakatiya Knights
- Mighty Marathas
- Prithviraaj Yodhas
- Rajputana Royals
Chero Archers – Season 2 Fixtures
| Date | Opponent |
| October 8 | Chola Chiefs |
| October 9 | Rajputana Royals |
| October 10 | Prithviraaj Yodhas |
| October 11 | Kakatiya Knights |
| October 12 | Mighty Marathas |
| October 13 | Rajputana Royals |
| October 14 | Prithviraaj Yodhas |
| October 15 | Kakatiya Knights |
| October 16 | Mighty Marathas |
| October 17 | Chola Chiefs |