ITV

Category: Factual

  • Market-leading ThinkAnalytics is the only content discovery vendor with capability to scale to over 100 million users in the cloud

    Market-leading ThinkAnalytics is the only content discovery vendor with capability to scale to over 100 million users in the cloud

    MUMBAI: ThinkAnalytics™ today announced that its cloud-based personalized content discovery platform is the first in the industry to scale to over 100 million monthly active users in the cloud.

    ThinkAnalytics’ customers rely on this ability to deal with massive scale to power personalized user experiences as they undergo rapid growth in both audience numbers and the number of hours each user spends viewing content.

    Four of the firm’s OTT customers – BBC, DAZN, Tata Sky and Viacom 18 – now have a combined user base that exceeds 100 million monthly active users. Plus Viacom18 has attracted more than 50 million monthly users to its Voot platform and is targeting 100 million by the end of March 2020.

    Using the Amazon Web Services cloud platform, ThinkAnalytics’ content discovery platform both auto-scales to meet peak demand and deliver a consistently high-quality personalized viewing experience that boosts engagement, and scales down during quieter periods to reduce costs.  Combining full redundancy in geographically distributed data centres and a self-healing capability that automatically replaces any failed instances, the ThinkAnalytics platform provides industry-leading performance, scalability and reliability.

    One global streaming customer recently scaled to run at over a million requests per minute without a glitch, with no manual intervention required. The ThinkAnalytics platform auto-scaled from the minimum configuration to peak demand, all fully automated.

    Peter Docherty, ThinkAnalytics CTO, said, “Scalability, which has always been at the heart of our technology, is critical as established brands look to scale their D2C services quickly across multiple markets, while established providers in countries such as India are breaking new barriers with ever growing numbers of active OTT users. For these providers, a cloud-based content discovery platform that can reliably auto-scale to support many millions of viewers is a priority, offering the peace of mind that comes with a reliable, high-quality experience – even at peak periods. With our platform, customers get the world-leading personalization capabilities they need to engage their audiences and showcase the breadth and depth of content available, combined with the tools and insight needed to attract and retain viewers. ”

    The ThinkAnalytics portfolio gives customers a holistic view of their business with full viewer lifecycle management, helping them to better address KPIs such as boosting loyalty, ARPU and customer experience, and developing new revenue streams.

    As well as personalized content discovery powered by AI and machine learning, solutions include: ThinkInsight, the TV industry’s first viewer and video insight platform; the ThinkEditorial campaign tool, and the ThinkComposer dynamic UX engine that provides the ability to personalise the viewer experience.

  • LF Originals launches new show on sustainable fishing

    LF Originals launches new show on sustainable fishing

    MUMBAI: The digital extension of Living Foodz that hosts original digital content on Food, Travel & Lifestyle, launches its new show ‘FISHERIES OF INDIA’ under its digital series ‘Local Produce’ on its Facebook page. The show will be speaking on sustainable fishing and how it is the need of the hour.

    With Fisheries of India, LF Originals aims to bring the efforts of Mr.Ganesh Nakhawa to the limelight. A 7th generation fisherman from Karanja in Uran, he is also the Director of Fisheries along that coastal area. Funded by the government, he has been lauded for his unique methods that have helped increase catch and bring back equilibrium in marine ecology.

    Suggestive to the name of the show, this series is all about insights into the fishing culture and the methods that India must adopt to make the practice sustainable and curb aggressive overfishing off India's coasts.

    In every episode of Fisheries of India, LF Originals aims to uncover the various facets of fishing in India. Episode 1 covers the basics – 'What is fishing?' 'What is a continental shelf?' and 'Different methods of fishing'. Episode 2 raises awareness of the orthodox methods and their impact versus the modern methods of fishing and how results are achieved. It also speaks of how India consumes more migratory fish, hence disturbing ecological balance in the oceans. Finally, Episode 3 highlights the evils of plastic pollution in our oceans and the effects it has not only on the daily lives of fisherfolk and the marine ecosystem as a whole.

  • National Geographic’s ‘The Great Indian Election’ to air on the country’s 73rd Independence Day

    National Geographic’s ‘The Great Indian Election’ to air on the country’s 73rd Independence Day

    MUMBAI: National Geographic, a 131-year-old brand driven by its rich legacy of showcasing the most inspiring and spectacular stories, today announced that its upcoming documentary on the untold story of India’s biggest democratic exercise titled, ‘The Great Indian Election’ shot across 37 locations will premiere on August 15, 2019. The exclusive Independence Day film will also bring to the forefront rarely told human stories of the people behind this mammoth event. The film will bring to life a festive celebration of democracy on a day that is all about India.

    The documentary will uncover the entire planning process of this exercise of epic proportions involving 11 million poll officials, over 900 million electorate and 8000 candidates across one million polling stations. Starting right from the announcement of election phases to India’s 15th Prime Minister’s swearing in ceremony, the epic 6 month, multi crew production is shot across the length and breadth of the country. The documentary showcases a holistic view of the Elections process, right from the intricate planning process to the people behind this exercise. The film features a diverse set of people involved, from top ranking officers at the Election Commission, booth level officers (BLOs), topmost political leaders to 100-year old voters. The brand in the form of interviews and through unprecedented access to lesser known areas, showcases the challenges and complexities faced by election commission personal in managing elections in some power constituencies. Some of the names featured include 23rd Chief Election Commissioner of India – Sunil Arora, District Election Officer – Varanasi, Surendra Singh (I.A.S.), first female collector of Salem district – Rohini R Bhajibhakare, amongst others.

    The cameras of National Geographic have also followed some high profile leaders such as Narendra Modi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sachin Pilot, Rahul Gandhi, and Nitin Gadkari. Standing tall to its commitment of scratching beneath the surface to bring out the unheard and unseen, the brand will give viewers an outlook in the campaigning of these influential leaders.

    From the highest echelons of the Election Commission of India to the booth level officers (BLOs), from the topmost political leaders to ground level party workers, from first-time voters to 100-year-old voters, there is absolutely nothing that National Geographic’s cameras have not covered to bring the story of the world’s largest elections that has the entire world enthralled.

    ‘The Great Indian Election’ will premiere on August 15, 2019 on National Geographic. The documentary will be available on Hotstar as well.

  • Discovery channel to telecast most death-defying highwire walk yet – 25 stories above new york city’s times square

    Discovery channel to telecast most death-defying highwire walk yet – 25 stories above new york city’s times square

    MUMBAI: Discovery Channel will showcase a never-before-attempted walk of approximately 1,300 feet long and 25 stories above street level, across New York City’s iconic Times Square, “Highwire Live in Times Square with Nik Wallenda” on Monday, June 24 (8:00-10:00 AM IST).  The walk marks Lijana Wallenda’s first highwire walk since the 2017 accident where she, along with four others, tragically fell 30 feet off a tightrope during a rehearsal.

    The 1,300-foot-long walk will take place 25 stories high between the famed 1 Times Square and 2 Times Square. Nik and Lijana will start from opposite ends of the wire, meet and cross in the middle of Times Square, then continue to finish opposite of where they started. The must-see live event will also feature video footage of the Wallendas’ history, preparation and exclusive interviews.

    “A never seen before LIVE death-defying walk is a part of our strategy to showcase the best of world programming in India. We believe such content will reverberate with audiences across the country,” said Megha Tata, Managing Director- South Asia, Discovery Communications India.

    “In 1928, my family performed at Madison Square Garden in the City of Dreams for the first time in the USA,” said Nik Wallenda. “And on June 23, I have the great opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of my own by paying homage to that performance as we return for my most exhilarating feat yet. I am beyond excited to be able to walk with my sister, Lijana, as she overcomes near-death injuries and continues the Wallenda tradition of never giving up!”

    Nik Wallenda is the seventh-generation of the Great Wallendas who trace their roots back over 200 years to the Austro-Hungarian empire. For Nik, every walk is an expression of honor to his great grandfather, the legendary Karl Wallenda who brought the Wallendas to America from Germany to perform in The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Nik’s previous live televised events include two hugely successful television events: walking across Niagara Falls in June 2012 and the Grand Canyon in June 2013. He holds 10 Guinness World Records.

    Lijana Wallenda was one of five performers who fell off a highwire tightrope while attempting an eight-person pyramid stunt during a Circus Sarasota rehearsal in 2017. Lijana was severely injured and has been recovering ever since. The Times Square walk will be the first time she’s gotten back on the tightrope for a performance since her accident.

    “Highwire Live in Times Square with Nik Wallenda” is produced by dick clark productions. Gretchen Eisele, Mark Bracco, Linda Gierahn, David Simone, Winston Simone, Shelley Ross and Nik Wallenda are executive producers. International distribution by dick clark productions International.

    Catch “Highwire Live in Times Square with Nik Wallenda” on Monday, June 24 (8:00-10:00 AM IST) and repeats at 1 PM and 9 PM IST on Discovery.

  • Watch the Indian Army’s Legendary Warriors in Action in ‘61st Cavalry – India’s Horse Warriors’

    Watch the Indian Army’s Legendary Warriors in Action in ‘61st Cavalry – India’s Horse Warriors’

    MUMBAI: HISTORY TV18’s new documentary brings to life the mettle of India’s iconic horse warriors in battle and show cases the modern day avatar of the Indian cavalryman. The original production “61st Cavalry – India’s Horse Warriors” premieres exclusively on HISTORY TV18 on 24th June’2019, at 9 PM

    On the bloodied battlefields of the First World War, Indian Lancers under the British flag fought German and Ottoman-Turkish forces in the Middle-East. Here, on September 23rd, in a daring cavalry charge during the Battle of Haifa, Indian Lancers liberated the strategic port-town, now in Israel. It was their finest hour. The documentary recreates the horseback action to dramatic effect, with facts and expert accounts of what transpired. The inspirational true story has been passed down generations of cavalrymen. The battle remains a glorious part of India’s military history and is commemorated in New Delhi’s Teen Murti Haifa Chowk, which has three life-size statues of Lancers from India’s Princely States. In 2018 Indian PM Narendra Modi and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu paid tribute at the landmark to honour the Indian soldiers.

    Over the years, the cavalry units of India’s erstwhile Princely States were amalgamated into an illustrious India Army regiment – the 61st Cavalry. Headquartered in Jaipur, Rajasthan, the 61st Cavalry today earns laurels for India in the field of equestrian sport. It takes intense and specialized training to turn new recruits into expert riders of the regiment. The documentary follows the intensive 32-week training that sawar-recruits undergo. The show also takes viewers to the Equine Breeding Stud (EBS), Babugarh for a behind-the-scenes look at how Army horses are bred and thereafter, how the colts are trained at Remount Training School, Hempur (Uttarakhand). Officers of the Cavalry provide insights into the techniques used to train both man and horse.

    The show ends on a high, with the grand commemoration parade and centenary celebrations of the Battle of Haifa, presided over by the Chief of Army Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat, who is also Colonel of the Regiment. Bearing the insignia of the double-headed eagle with pride, two hundred men on steeds gallop their way into the regimental grounds, to honour the heroism of their forebears.

    Avinash Kaul, Managing Director A+E Networks | TV18 and Chief Executive Officer- Network18 said "61st Cavalry – India’s Horse Warriors is yet another example of our commitment to showcase inspiring stories of valour and sacrifice of our armed forces.  Shows such as these, with their new-age storytelling and stellar production values, have clearly established HISTORY TV18 as the leader in Factual Entertainment in India.”

  • EPIC TV announces partnership with SonyLIV

    EPIC TV announces partnership with SonyLIV

    MUMBAI: EPIC Channel – India Ka Apna Infotainment, announced a content partnership with India’s first premium video on demand (VOD) platform, SonyLIV. This collaboration lets SonyLIV users’ access 24X7, the live-stream of EPIC Channel’s feed anytime, anywhere. EPIC is home to a premium library of high-quality, India-centric content in high-definition (HD) format, including new shows like Regiment Diaries, Tyohaar Ki Thaali, Raja Rasoi Aur Andaaz Anokha, Umeed India and the upcoming Lost Recipes Season 2. 

    This partnership between leading infotainment channel EPIC and on demand video service SonyLIV is a gateway for SonyLIV users to experience a whole new world of infotainment. SonyLIV’s 109 million strong user base has access to an exhaustive content library across mythology, food, travel, sports, and wildlife and other genres.

  • DocuBay- a new documentary streaming platform previews at Cannes, France

    DocuBay- a new documentary streaming platform previews at Cannes, France

    MUMBAI: IN10 Media showcased an exclusive first look of DocuBay – its new, global, subscription-based streaming service and VOD platform featuring premium international documentaries at MIPDOC to a select international community of documentary creators and distributors.

    Along with this early preview for MIPDOC (April 6-7) and MIPTV (April 8-11) attendees, DocuBay also partnered with MIPDOC to present The Pitch, a blitz kreig documentary pitching session that acknowledges the most promising documentaries in the making for the year. Amongst, if not the most anticipated documentary event in the documentary fraternity, the judges for the pitches included Chris Hoelzl from Smithsonian Channel, Axel Arno from SVT, Bernadette McDaid from National Geographic and Akul Tripathi, COO, DocuBay.

    Congratulating Fairouz El-Baz; winner of the pitch for the Science and Technology category, and Zed Films; winner of the pitch for the Current Affairs & Investigation category, Akul Tripathi (COO, DocuBay) stated, “We are thrilled to introduce DocuBay to the global content community attending MIP, and to share our great passion for documentary films with audiences around the world. Humankind, as a race, has always had the uncontrollable desire to tell their tale. To save it for posterity. Etched in stone, sketched on rock, sung through the ages, engraved, embossed, stitched, typed, recorded, photographed and now filmed – documentaries are just the latest in a long series of the preferred repository of human experience. These cumulative/many experiences unite us as One Tribe, which is at the core of DocuBay philosophy.”

    DocuBay will be available in India with a distinctive global catalogue for Indian audiences, and several titles exclusive to the country. The global consumer premiere is scheduled for the summer of 2019 and will include India in it’s first phase.

    Making discovery easy through affinity-based categories like Nature, Action, Travel, Culture, and Science, DocuBay intends to further refine its ‘bays’ by analyzing watch habits and consumer surveys of the early adopters to DocuBay.

    Reiterating DocuBay’s commitment to the importance of discovery in the future of the digital content marketplace, Aditya Pittie (Managing Director, IN10 Media) stated, “IN10 Media’s goal has always been to deliver excellent content across genres and platforms, and we are proud to add DocuBay to our stellar class of brands. With consumers worldwide having more content choices than ever, DocuBay’s constantly expanding library of international documentary films will create its own niche through its focus on discovery and distribution. We are delighted to share this first look at MIP.”

    DocuBay will continue it’s exclusive first look at MIP TV from April 8 – April 11.

  • Discovery makes history by finding an exquisitely-preserved 2,500-year-old high priest mummy inside an ancient egyptian sarcophagus opened live

    Discovery makes history by finding an exquisitely-preserved 2,500-year-old high priest mummy inside an ancient egyptian sarcophagus opened live

    MUMBAI: Discovery viewers from 95 countries around the world witnessed history in the making in EXPEDITION UNKNOWN: EGYPT LIVE as a team of Egyptian archaeologists and explorers uncovered a 2,500-year-old mummy of a high priest for the first time ever on live television. But that was not the only stunning find. In addition to the high priest mummy, two other mummies were revealed along with a treasure trove of antiquities, including a mysterious wax head.

    “This is Discovery at its best – transporting fans into new worlds through awe-inspiring stories and immersive experiences. It doesn’t get much more immersive than this,” said Nancy Daniels, chief brand officer, Discovery & Factual.

    This real-life Indiana Jones adventure, which was also simulcast on Travel Channel and Science Channel, gave viewers a rare opportunity to join an actual archeological excavation in real time – exploring a labyrinth of underground tombs and witnessing the inner chambers of the remote burial site known as Al-Ghorifa in Middle Egypt, located approximately 165 miles south of Cairo. 

    Adventurer and avid explorer Josh Gates and world-renowned Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass, whose legendary career spans nearly 50 years, explored the deep tunnels underground; while TV personality Chris Jacobs and Dr. Mostafa Waziri, the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, provided on-the-ground commentary.

    “This has been such an amazing experience,” said Gates, following the live global broadcast. “There aren’t many people who can say they’ve gone down into unexplored ancient tombs – especially with a living legend like Dr. Hawass. We were able to document spectacular artifacts and mummies and bring viewers along in real time. It was the thrill of a lifetime.” 

    “Never in my 50 years in archaeology have I experienced something on such a grand scale as this,” Dr. Hawass said. “The findings here are completely special and totally unique. This is what keeps me going. It is what keeps me feeling young and alive!”

    This ancient Egyptian necropolis has long remained a mystery until now. In 1927, an antiquities inspector first discovered the sarcophagus of a high priest in this area. However, the sarcophagus was robbed and the mummy was missing. In this historic moment, Discovery cameras were rolling live at the dig site as the mummy of a powerful high priest was revealed.

    During the live broadcast, viewers also had the thrill of coming face to face with two other mummies that appear to be directly connected – the first of which was a female mummy based on the artifacts discovered in a cut above ground.

    The second mummy was discovered inside the “Family Tomb,” the final resting place of an entire family from 2,500 years ago. The Family Tomb also included such unique objects as an ancient Egyptian board game, the remains of a family dog and four intact canopic jars used to store a mummy’s organs. While the second mummy was not a high priest or fully preserved, the objects inside the tomb and inscriptions on his sarcophagus reveal that he was a singer in the temple of an Egyptian god known as Thoth.

    Besides finding the mummies at the site, Dr. Hawass revealed to Josh Gates for the very first time a mysterious wax head that they believe is the mold of “Irt Hrw,” one of the high priests. This extraordinary wax head is the exact cast of a 2,500-year-old high priest mummy – with such detailed features that he could have easily been picked out on the street from it. This moment lead to the stunning finale of the broadcast with the opening of a sealed sarcophagus, which contained an exquisitely preserved 2,500-year-old high priest, a “Great of the Five Priest of Thoth,” covered from top to bottom with gold banding and other artifacts.

    “I could never have ever imagined what a unique journey this has been. We’ve been the first to see these amazing ancient treasures. But maybe the most impressive thing of all is how much there is left to explore. I am very happy that the program was seen by millions of people from around the world. We are sending an important message that Egypt is safe and we invite tourists to come,” said Dr. Waziri, the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt.

    The epic event was produced by Big Dreams Entertainment with Leslie Greif as executive producer, Discovery Studios and Ping Pong Productions.

    “Nineteen years ago, we opened the Valley of the Golden Mummies live on television. And now, almost 20 years later, Dr. Hawass called with another discovery of that magnitude that deserved another live broadcast. We’re thrilled to be part of these two epic events here in Egypt,” said Executive Producer Leslie Greif. 

    Followers of @Discovery on Instagram can get a behind-the scenes-look of the live broadcast with additional insights and exciting moments led by our team of expert archeologists and historians. Viewers are also invited to join conversation on Twitter using hashtag #ExpeditionUnknown and watch past seasons of EXPEDITION UNKNOWN on Discovery GO. Host Josh Gates can be found on Facebook: @joshgatesofficial, Twitter: @joshuagates, and Instagram: @gatesygram.

    EXPEDITION UNKNOWN: EGYPT LIVE is produced for Discovery Channel by Discovery Studios and Ping Pong Productions in association with Big Dreams Entertainment. For Big Dreams Entertainment, Leslie Greif is executive producer. For Discovery Studios, Sandy Varo Jarrell, Peter Isacksen and Jason Sklaver serve as executive producers. For Ping Pong Productions, Brad Kuhlman, Casey Brumels and Josh Gates are executive producers. For Discovery Channel, Howard Swartz is executive producer.

  • Epic’s Original, commissioned by Punjab govt, about martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh massacre to air on 6 April

    Epic’s Original, commissioned by Punjab govt, about martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh massacre to air on 6 April

    MUMBAI: EPIC TV- India Ka Apna Infotainment, has always been known for the strength of its content, derived from in-depth research, and diligent creator values. On the back of this reputation, the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) of the Punjab Government entrusted the channel with the creation of a two part feature to commemorate the contributions of the martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. ‘Jallianwala Bagh – Punjab Ka Dil’, produced as an EPIC Original for the Govt. of Punjab will air in 2 parts. Part 1 will air on 6th April at 7 pm with a repeat telecast on 7th April at 10:30 am. The concluding part will telecast on 13th April at 7 pm and repeat on 14th April at 10:30 am. On the Baisakhi day of 13th April, 1919; General Reginald Dyer opened fire on a peaceful gathering of unarmed people at the Jallianwala Bagh. Trapped in an enclosed area, under relentless, unprovoked firing that blocked the only exit from the park, hundreds lost their lives. Condemne d in the strongest terms by leaders from around the world, this incident was pivotal in India’s fight for independence and has become a symbol of the atrocities of colonialism, and of British rule of India. A tribute to all those martyred in cold blood, the feature examines the events leading up to the incident and analyses the far-reaching impact of its fall-out; that spurred the clarion call of Poorna Swaraj – complete independence. Through interviews with renowned scholars, rare archival footage, meetings with descendants of the martyrs, along with an exploration of those who visit the hallowed ground to pay homage; the hour long narrative explores the various facets that make the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy an extremely significant event in India’s history.

    Akul Tripathi, Head – Content and Programming, EPIC Channel added, “We are honoured and proud to be the vessel of choice, to tell the story of such an important moment in India’s history. The feature is homage to generations of martyrs and freedom fighters from the brave land of the Punjab. The Jallianwala Bagh incident and its sacrifices must not be forgotten, today and by generations to come.”

    This special feature will also be available on EPIC On, EPIC’s video streaming service in 3 languages – Hindi, English, and Punjabi. The EPIC On app is available across devices and platforms, including Firestick and Apple TV. Part of the recently announced IN10 Media network, EPIC, true to its brand proposition as ‘India’s Storytellers’, is known for its extensive library of premium Indian content that brings out lesser known stories through powerful visuals and gripping narrative.

  • Discovery unravels the trials and tribulations of aspiring cricketers in ‘All ACCESS: The CONTENDERS’

    Discovery unravels the trials and tribulations of aspiring cricketers in ‘All ACCESS: The CONTENDERS’

    MUMBAI: Discovery, India’s leading destination for factual entertainment, will unravel the trials and tribulations of aspiring cricketers in a new show ‘All ACCESS: The CONTENDERS’. The new show will take viewers through the journey of sacrifice and discipline of six aspiring cricketers who are ready to give it all as they dream to be the next T20 stars. The cricketers whose journey has been covered as a part of the show include Shivam Dube (all-rounder from Mumbai), Kamlesh Nagarkoti (fast bowler from Barmer, Rajasthan), Ishan Porel (medium pacer from Chandan Nagar, West Bengal), Harvik Desai (Wicket keeper-batsman from Bhav Nagar, Gujarat), and brothers Anmolpreet Singh (Batsman) & Prabhsimran Singh (Wicketkeeper – batsman) from Patiala, Punjab.

    The new show ‘All ACCESS: The CONTENDERS’ will give young aspirants a glimpse of what coaches, franchisees and team management look at while identifying their picks in this cricket frenzy nation. It also brings to the forefront how difficult it is to stay relevant in the ever-changing dynamics of the shorter format of the game, emphasizing on why it’s just not about that one moment of glory but to live up and maintain that success day in and out. The 4-part series ‘All ACCESS: The CONTENDERS’ will be aired every Tuesday, starting April 09 on Discovery channel and Discovery HD World at 21:00 hrs. The on-air broadcast of ‘ALL ACCESS: THE CONTENDERS’ has attracted marquee advertisers such as Hotstar VIP, Vivo Mobiles, Safari Bags and Servo Futura G+ from Indian Oil.

    Speaking about the concept of the show, Zulfia Waris, Vice President, Premium & Digital networks, Discovery Communications India, said, “All ACCESS: The CONTENDERS provides a Discovery lens to the journey of budding Indian cricket stars who live a disciplined, devoted (to the extent of being monotonous lifestyle) where one practice session follows another as the players seek perfection in all facets of the game with a singular aim of being the next cricket super star of India. The stiff competition in India’s most popular game only heightens the uncertainty as only best of the best will have a real shot to fame.”

    The show features eminent ex-cricketers, experts, coaches including Virender Sehwag, Kiran More, Irfan Pathan, Graeme Smith (South Africa), Jonty Rhodes (South Africa), Tom Moody (Australia) and experts like Ayaz Memon, Joy Bhattacharjya, franchise owner like Parth Jindal (co-owner Delhi Capitals), who give viewers an understanding on how this glory isn’t as easy and quick as it seems.

     “A lot of kids today are playing and taking cricket as a professional career choice. Making a name isnt easy in this environment, it is not just about being good, but one also needs to be talented and have the ability to convert their talent to performance,” points out former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag. “If a youngster who has made it to the big league can continuously convert his talent to performances only then they can have a secure future and hope to play 10-12 years and earn a lot of money.”

    Highlighting the emergence of cricketers from smaller towns, former cricketer and selection committee member, Kiran More, says, “The smaller towns kids are hungrier and their determination to succeed is also higher. They want to do well, they want to prove a point, and show the world that we are talented, we can perform. Nobody thought that we will get a captain from Jharkhand a decade back, but Captain Dhoni proved everybody wrong. There’s no stopping growth for the right talent.”

    Virender Sehwag, adds, “If you look at 80’s and 90’s, there were lots of players from metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai etc. However, this seems to be changing. Now, smaller town representation in Indian team has increased.”

    Highlighting the contribution of family in Indian context, Australian Cricketer Tom Moody, emphasizes, “Behind that cricket, behind that cover drive is some one who has got family, siblings, and a lot of support.”

    Shivam Dube who is an all-rounder and plays first class cricket for Mumbai and is representing Bengaluru Franchisee this year.  Legendary Indian Cricketer Sunil Gavaskar had openly written about Shivam Dube and his talent in his column. Remembering that moment, the young Dube says in the series, “I feel very proud about the fact that such a legendary person has not just noticed you but also has openly spoken about your talent. Words like these are just what motivates me to continue working harder so that his views on me do not change in the future and he can always continue having faith in my capabilities.”

    Kamlesh Nagarkoti, a fast bowler from Rajasthan who has represented India U-19, has been selected by the Kolkata franchise in the T20 league. West Bengal based right arm fast bowler Ishan Porel who made heads turn with his performance in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup is definitely one of the strongest contenders for the future. Harvik Desai, who hails from Bhavnagar in Gujarat and is well known for scoring the winning runs for India in the 2018 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, is a wicket-keeper batsman and has represented Saurashtra in First-Class cricket. Brothers, Anmolpreet Singh, a right-handed batsman and 19-year-old wicket keeper –batsman Prabhsimran Singh made their first-class cricket debut for Punjab. Anmolpreet represents the Mumbai Franchisee while his younger brother Prabhsimran Singh is playing for the Punjab Franchisee.

    Talking about the Singh brothers former India cricketer Kiran More, says, “I think two brothers doing well is a great combination much like Yusuf and Irfan. It helps I think, look at the Pandya brothers – Hardik and Krunal, they also bond well.  Irfan never called Yusuf by name, he said, “Bhai”. So that respect is there, they remain the best buddies together.”

    Former cricketer Irfan Pathan who is famously known to have played alongside his brother Yusuf Pathan in the same franchisee adds, “People feel good when two brothers play together. I would prefer to see both of them playing together not in separate teams.”

    Will these aspiring cricketers make it big? What is in store for them? Catch ‘All ACCESS: The CONTENDERS’ every Tuesday starting April 09 at 21:00 hrs on Discovery and Discovery HD World.