ITV

Tag: BCCI

  • IPL 2016: Intex names Rajkot franchise Gujarat Lions, Raina to lead

    IPL 2016: Intex names Rajkot franchise Gujarat Lions, Raina to lead

    MUMBAI: The newly formed Rajkot IPL Team announced its official name as ‘Gujarat Lions’ with Suresh Raina as its captain.

     

    Raina will lead a star-studded side that will have former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum besides experienced all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja, James Faulkner and Dwayne Bravo.

     

    “Suresh Raina is a remarkable player with an impeccable record in all formats of the game. His extensive experience combined with his great leadership skills, will help us in putting together a winning strategy for the team”, said Gujarat Lions owner &  Intex Technologies director Keshav Bansal.

     

    Commenting on his appointment as team captain, Raina stated, “I am honoured to have been chosen for this role. We already have some of the best cricketing talent in the team and I look forward to the challenges, the opportunity, the excitement, the energy and will lead from the front to ensure we have a great debut.”

     

    On the other hand, Brad Hodge was named as the coach of the team while Arvinder Singh was named as the CEO of the team.

     

    “We finalized Brad Hodge as the team coach on the basis of his successful contribution to the Australian National team and his excellent stint in IPL. I am confident that our team will benefit immensely from his guidance and mentorship”,  Bansal added.

     

    Speaking about the team name, Bansal added, “Gujarat as a state has a rich cricketing history with a passion and commitment to the game that is unmatched. We have named our team as ‘Gujarat Lions’ to try and capture this spirit of Gujarat. The name brings an instant connect with fans not just across the state but all over the world. As do the Lions, we would like to rule the game of cricket.”

     

    Along with the name and captaincy,  the team logo was also unveiled —  a Lion in golden yellow  and hues of red. The logo symbolizes pride, energy and prosperity with a uniquely styled ‘N’ that showcases creativity, innovation and cutting-edge of technology that defines brand Intex.

  • IPL 2016: Intex names Rajkot franchise Gujarat Lions, Raina to lead

    IPL 2016: Intex names Rajkot franchise Gujarat Lions, Raina to lead

    MUMBAI: The newly formed Rajkot IPL Team announced its official name as ‘Gujarat Lions’ with Suresh Raina as its captain.

     

    Raina will lead a star-studded side that will have former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum besides experienced all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja, James Faulkner and Dwayne Bravo.

     

    “Suresh Raina is a remarkable player with an impeccable record in all formats of the game. His extensive experience combined with his great leadership skills, will help us in putting together a winning strategy for the team”, said Gujarat Lions owner &  Intex Technologies director Keshav Bansal.

     

    Commenting on his appointment as team captain, Raina stated, “I am honoured to have been chosen for this role. We already have some of the best cricketing talent in the team and I look forward to the challenges, the opportunity, the excitement, the energy and will lead from the front to ensure we have a great debut.”

     

    On the other hand, Brad Hodge was named as the coach of the team while Arvinder Singh was named as the CEO of the team.

     

    “We finalized Brad Hodge as the team coach on the basis of his successful contribution to the Australian National team and his excellent stint in IPL. I am confident that our team will benefit immensely from his guidance and mentorship”,  Bansal added.

     

    Speaking about the team name, Bansal added, “Gujarat as a state has a rich cricketing history with a passion and commitment to the game that is unmatched. We have named our team as ‘Gujarat Lions’ to try and capture this spirit of Gujarat. The name brings an instant connect with fans not just across the state but all over the world. As do the Lions, we would like to rule the game of cricket.”

     

    Along with the name and captaincy,  the team logo was also unveiled —  a Lion in golden yellow  and hues of red. The logo symbolizes pride, energy and prosperity with a uniquely styled ‘N’ that showcases creativity, innovation and cutting-edge of technology that defines brand Intex.

  • Has KPL opened a new door for cricket crazy broadcasters?

    Has KPL opened a new door for cricket crazy broadcasters?

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India (erstwhile Multi Screen Media) with its recent foray into regional cricket league has given the sports industry an alternative to mainstream international cricket. The network tasted success with the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) telecast live on Sony Six and Sony Kix, which fetched good viewership.

    Cricket in India has become an expensive proposition for broadcasters with acquisition costs soaring sky high. Even as the number of sportcasters with heavy purses increase in the television ecosystem, the 365 days calendar is turning out to be too small for them to accommodate all the cricketing action through the year.

    While kabaddi showed the nation that cricket was not the only sport that created the all-pervading excitement, in a country where cricket is as big as a religion, nothing can suppress it.

    Sports channels in India without cricket in its portfolio are still considered as wingless birds. The sport-broadcasting ecosystem is going to see a tsunami of developments in the near future. The ESPN – Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India (erstwhile Multi Screen Media) deal has already prepped the industry for what’s in store. The price tag attached to the broadcasting rights of the cash rich Indian Premier League (IPL) is being speculated to double if not more when they come up for fresh bidding in 2017. The rights currently vest with SPN India and were acquired after signing a $1 billion deal for 10 years.

    What’s more, it will be a tad too optimistic to assume that one of the fastest growing media conglomerate in India, Viacom 18 will not enter the sports space in the near future. Speculations are rife that the Peter Hutton led Eurosport has a keen eye on the Indian market and is planning an entry as early as sometime next year. Star India, which holds the rights to BCCI and ICC sporting events, is also likely to aggressively bid for the IPL. Star recently acquired IPL’s digital rights for three years for a mammoth sum of Rs 302.2 crore.

    Media mogul Subhash Chandra’s love for cricket is a well known fact. Chandra’s Ten Sports holds the broadcasting rights of multiple international cricket boards. Nimbus Communications’ Harish Thawani has also been taking baby steps towards cricket. Recently his sports channel Neo Sports acquired the broadcasting rights of Bangladesh Premier League.

    At a time like this, KPL has come as a new and lucrative avenue as far as cricket is concerned. Sony Six and Sony Kix business head Prasana Krishnan is of the opinion that the seriousness of the Karnataka State Cricket Association plays a vital role in garnering high viewership. “KPL is actually a very sincere effort from the association. They have been doing it with precision. Despite it being a low budgeted affair, it is being executed with sheer class,” he tells Indiantelevision.com.

    The timing of the league is also a vital factor as per Krishnan. “It is played post the monsoons and during that period there is neither much international cricket featuring India nor are there many big leagues scheduled. At a time like this, when you add good production value, it makes for a good property,” he informs.

    However, it does beg one vital question: Are there enough monetising avenues available? “KPL for us is an experiment. More than revenue, it’s a matter of extending our portfolio. The revenue will depend on quality. It depends on the players available. For now, it’s a portfolio formation for us. We will look into other aspects with time,” says Krishnan.

    Neo Sports EVP programming Mautik Tolia also feels that regional leagues can be a good prospect for broadcasters provided the expectations are realistic. “Regional cricket leagues helps broadcasters in reaching out to a new audience. Our foray into Bangladesh Premier League has given us a new set of audience from the West Bengal region. If there is an opportunity to acquire rights of any such regional cricket league, we will aggressively bid for it,” Tolia says.

    A senior media planner feels that if broadcasters package and promote regional cricket leagues, it can be a profitable proposition. “There are a good number of regional advertisers, who cannot afford the high ad rates of international cricket tourneys. If there is good return on investment, advertisers will like to be there. But the broadcaster will have to take the sport seriously,” the planner asserts on condition of anonymity.

    In the west, school and college championships in NBA and Rugby garner a huge traction. What’s more, sports broadcasters too back it aggressively and produce it with serious energy. However, the scenario is a little different with cricket in India as per Krishnan. “NBA or Soccer scout for players from schools and colleges. There is no other tournament involved in the system. With cricket, a cricketer has club and Ranji commitments, which are all 365 days engagements. So it will be unfair to compare this to the west. We will evaluate all possibilities and if we find a regional league, which has quality players involved in it and is played at a time when team India is not in action, we will go for it,” he affirms.

    It was recently reported that Chandra was planning to start a cricket league in Chandigarh. It remains to be seen how broadcasters react to SPN India’s start. One this is certain that channels need to look beyond international cricket to have the sport in their portfolio without burning a hole in their pockets. Who does it and on what scale is only a matter of wait and watch.

    Ratings of KPL 2015

  • ICC T20: Dharamshala to host India vs Pakistan match, finals at Eden Gardens

    ICC T20: Dharamshala to host India vs Pakistan match, finals at Eden Gardens

    MUMBAI: Sourav Ganguly’s tenure as Cricket Association of Bengal president is already off to a flying start. While as a player the southpaw made his crackling test cricket debut with a century at Lords, as an administrator now, he’s writing his own script. Eden Gardens, which was denied a single India match during 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, will now host the final of the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup. The International Cricket Council (ICC), after rounds of inspection, finally gave a green signal to Eden Gardens.

    To add to the delight of Indian cricket fans, the board meeting in Mumbai led by ICC chairman Shashank Manohar also announced an India vs Pakistan fixture, which will be played on 19 March, 2016. The match between the arch rivals will be hosted by Dharmshala.

    The International T20 tournament will kickstart from 8 March, 2016 and continue till 3 April, 2016. Other than Eden Gardens and Dharmshala, the tournament will be staged across six other stadiums. Star India is the official broadcaster of the tournament.

    The International T20 tournament will kickstart from 8 March, 2016 and continue till 3 April, 2016. Other than Eden Gardens and Dharmshala, the tournament will be staged across six other stadiums. Star India is the official broadcaster of the tournament.

    The men’s event will carry a total prize money of $5.6 million, which is an 86 per cent increase from the 2014 tournament, while the total prize money for the women’s event is $400,000, which is a 122 per cent increase from the Bangladesh event held in 2014.

    The first round matches in the men’s event will take place in Dharamsala and Nagpur from 8-13 March and will feature Bangladesh, Netherlands, Ireland, debutant Oman in Group A and Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong and Afghanistan in Group B. In a double-header on the opening day on 8 March, Zimbabwe will face Hong Kong in the afternoon match, to be followed by the evening match between Scotland and Afghanistan. Both the matches will be played in Nagpur.

    Host country India, which won the inaugural tournament in South Africa in 2007, is in Super 10 Group 2 along with 2009 winner Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and the Group A winner. India will launch its campaign in Nagpur against New Zealand on 15 March, while it will go head to head with Pakistan in Dharamsala on 19 March. Its other matches will be against the Group A winner in Bengaluru on 23 March and Australia in Mohali on 27 March.

    Manohar, who attended the launch ceremony in Mumbai, said, “India is a country where cricket is a religion and not many places can match the passion for the game like India. I am fully confident that the Board of Control for Cricket in India will deliver an outstanding world cricket event, just like the ICC Cricket World Cups in 1987, 1996 and 2011.”

    He further added, “The ICC and BCCI are fully committed and will work together to make this a memorable event. I invite fans from across the world to witness fast-paced cricketing action on the field and enjoy the hospitality and culture of India, off it.”

    ICC CEO David Richardson said, “The ICC World Twenty20 is an event, which puts the world’s best cricketers in the shortest format of the game against each other in a nation versus nation contest. The Twenty20 format provides the perfect vehicle by which the ICC can further globalise the game, providing international exposure and opportunity to our top associate and affiliate members. The ICC World Twenty20 event structure is designed to provide highly competitive matches throughout, with eight evenly-matched sides fighting it out in the first round and the best two then getting in the mix with the top eight ranked teams in the Super 10 stage where the intensity and competition will be of the very highest level.”

    BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said, “We, as hosts, are fully prepared to organise one of the most entertaining spectacles in world cricket. We draw experience from hosting three ICC Cricket World Cups and are ready to make the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016 one of the most memorable events.”

    Buoyed by the preparations so far, he added, “Our preparations are in full swing, and BCCI and ICC are working together to make it a lifetime experience for the players and the fans. India is a vibrant country – young, full of colour, energy and exuberance – and is very much like the concept of Twenty20 cricket itself. We would encourage everyone involved with the game to experience the best of India.”

    The Full Schedule:

    Tournament schedule (‘M’ denotes men’s match; ‘W’ denotes women’s match; PM means afternoon match and Eve. means night match. Match timing to be confirmed in due course)

    Tue, 8 Mar – Zimbabwe v Hong Kong (PM), Nagpur; Scotland v Afghanistan (Eve.), Nagpur

    Wed, 9 Mar – Bangladesh v Netherlands (PM), Dharamsala; Ireland v Oman (Eve.), Dharamsala

    Thu, 10 Mar – Scotland v Zimbabwe (PM), Nagpur; Hong Kong v Afghanistan (Eve.)

    Fri, 11 Mar – Netherlands v Oman (PM), Dharamsala; Bangladesh v Ireland (Eve.), Dharamsala

    Sat, 12 Mar – Zimbabwe v Afghanistan (PM), Nagpur; Scotland v Hong Kong (Eve.), Nagpur

    Sun, 13 Mar – Netherlands v Ireland (PM), Dharamsala; Bangladesh v Oman (Eve.), Dharamsala

    Tue, 15 Mar – India v Bangladesh (W) (PM), Bengaluru; New Zealand v Sri Lanka (W) (Eve.), New Delhi; New Zealand v India (M) (Eve), Nagpur

    Wed, 16 Mar – West Indies v England (M) (PM), Mumbai; Pakistan v Q1A (M) (Eve.), Kolkata; West Indies v Pakistan (W) (Eve.), Chennai

    Thu, 17 Mar – England v Bangladesh (W) (PM), Bengaluru; Sri Lanka v Q1B (M) (Eve.), Kolkata

    Fri, 18 Mar – New Zealand v Ireland (W) (PM), Mohali; Australia v New Zealand (M) (PM), Dharamsala; South Africa v England (M) (Eve.), Mumbai; Australia v South Africa (W) (Eve.), Nagpur

    Sat, 19 Mar – India v Pakistan (W) (PM), New Delhi; India v Pakistan (M) (Eve.), Dharamsala

    Sun, 20 Mar – South Africa v Q1B (M) (PM), Mumbai; West Indies v Bangladesh (W) (PM), Chennai; Sri Lanka v Ireland (W) (Eve.), Mohali; Sri Lanka v West Indies (M) (Eve.), Bengaluru

    Mon, 21 Mar – Australia v New Zealand (W) (PM), Nagpur; Australia v Q1A (M) (Eve.), Bengaluru

    Tue, 22 Mar – England v India (W) (PM), Dharamsala; New Zealand v Pakistan (M) (Eve.), Mohali

    Wed, 23 Mar – England v Q1B (M) (PM), New Delhi; India v Q1A (M), (Eve.), Bengaluru; South Africa v Ireland (W) (Eve.), Chennai

    Thu, 24 Mar – England v West Indies (W) (Eve.), Dharamsala; Australia v Sri Lanka (W) (PM), New Delhi; Pakistan v Bangladesh (W) (Eve.), New Delhi

    Fri, 25 Mar – Pakistan v Australia (M) (PM), Mohali; South Africa v West Indies (M), (Eve.), Nagpur

    Sat, 26 Mar – Australia v Ireland (W) (PM), New Delhi; Q1A v New Zealand (M) (PM), Kolkata; England v Sri Lanka (M) (Eve.), New Delhi; South Africa v New Zealand (W) (Eve.), Bengaluru

    Sun, 27 Mar – West Indies v India (W) (PM), Mohali; India v Australia (M) (Eve.), Mohali; England v Pakistan (W) (Eve.), Chennai; Q1B v West Indie (M) (PM), Nagpur;

    Mon, 28 Mar – South Africa v Sri Lanka (W) (PM), Bengaluru; South Africa v Sri Lanka (M) (Eve.), New Delhi

    Tue, 29 Mar – Rest/travel day

    Wed, 30 Mar – Women’s semi-final (2nd group A v 1st group B) (PM), New Delhi; men’s semi-final (Super 10 Group 1 2nd v Super 10 Group 2 1st) (Eve.), New Delhi

    Thu, 31 Mar – Women’s semi-final (1st group A v 2nd group B) (PM), Mumbai; men’s semi-final (Super 10 Group 1 1st v Super 10 Group 2 2nd) (Eve.), Mumbai

    Fri, 1 Apr – Rest/travel day

    Sat, 2 Apr – Rest/travel day

    Sun, 3 April – Women’s final (PM), Kolkata; men’s final (Eve.), Kolkata

    *Warm-up schedule to be confirmed in due course

  • IPL: Sanjeev Goenka’s New rising wins bid for Pune team, Intex wins Rajkot

    IPL: Sanjeev Goenka’s New rising wins bid for Pune team, Intex wins Rajkot

    MUMBAI: The speculations are finally over. The Indian Premier League (IPL) will be an eight team affair in 2016 as the Board Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) auctioned the two new franchises, Pune and Rajkot. Sanjeev Goenka’s New Rising won Pune franchisee while the Rajkot team is owned by the mobile phone manufacturer Intex.

     

    The two interim teams will not get a slice of BCCI’s franchise revenue instead Goenka’s will dish out Rs 16 crore, while Intex will pay Rs 10 crore to the board as they acquired the franchises for the respective amount in the reverse bidding process.  

     

    Pune and Rajkot will now have the option to choose from the top five players of CSK and RR. This will be decided during a players draft on 15 December 2015.

     

    After series of controversies, rounds of introspection, intervention by the Supreme Court of India, the BCCI decided to ban the N Srinivasan owned Chennai Super Kings and Raj Kundra’s Rajasthan Royals for two years.

     

    The decision posed a grave threat to the IPL fixture that would have otherwise been curtailed to an event with just six teams, and hence a lower number of matches. With the inclusion of the two new teams the tourney is back to eight teams. So the official broadcaster Multi Screen Media will have the same time span to monetise the cash rich league. 

     

    The rights acquisition cost were sold at $1 billion for a period of ten years to Multi Screen Media (MSM) which will conclude after 2017 edition.

  • Vivo furthers Indian localisation strategy with IPL; plans major marketing push

    Vivo furthers Indian localisation strategy with IPL; plans major marketing push

    MUMBAI: With an aim to expand its Indian localisation strategy as well as furthering its interest and association in sporting events, Chinese multinational manufacturer of smartphones Vivo has set sight on the Indian market field in a big way.

     

    As was reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, Vivo hit a six by grabbing the title sponsorship for the multi-million dollar cricket tourney – The Indian Premiere League (IPL) for a period of two years. The move came in the wake of Pepsi withdrawing its title sponsorship deal.

     

    This is Vivo’s first and so far the largest brand association since its launch in the Indian market. With 2015 being Vivo’s 20th anniversary and the first anniversary in India, the company sees Vivo-IPL making the throttle of its development even stronger.

     

    In the coming two seasons (2016 and 2017), Vivo and IPL will have extensive cooperation in terms of sports events, on-ground activations, media exposure and marketing campaigns.

     

    As a brand, Vivo has shown great interest in sports and had sponsored NBA’s live broadcasting in China last year. With an aim to enhance its brand awareness and reputation as well as get closer to its potential customers in the vast Indian market, Vivo will be utilising the IPL medium to the hilt over the next two years with a major marketing push. The Chinese company plans to launch 360 degree marketing campaigns, which will include athlete endorsements, television commercials (TVCs), venue advertisements, on-ground activation, digital and social media campaigns and fan meetings amongst others.

     

    Vivo Mobile India CEO Alex Feng said, “We always believe in supporting new talents and associated ourselves only with premium events globally. This investment reiterates how important Indian market is for us, and we are confident that Vivo will get returns from our investment in IPL, and this association will further advance our Love India, Love Vivo initiative.” 

     

    “Vivo is the pioneer of Hi-Fi music smartphone, and we strive to create smartphones combined with artistic design and technological innovation. Vivo’s spirit is to pursue excellence and create surprises. IPL, as the world’s premium cricket event, is also creating the ultimate sports experience to the world. It is this shared commitment to excellence that brought IPL and Vivo together,” he added.

     

    BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said, “IPL is all about opportunities and exhibition of talent and with Vivo coming in as the title sponsor, it is yet another initiative to showcase a brand, which is young, full of life and looking for a platform to showcase its talent. Just like the IPL, Vivo in a very short span have created a niche and legacy in the smartphone market and I am sure this will be a long and enriching affiliation for both the stakeholders.”

     

    Speculations were rife that in the light of the match fixing controversy, which led to Pepsi pulling out of the IPL title sponsorship, the sponsorship rates might drop. However, Thakur informed that the IPL was still a coveted property in the eyes of many a brands. Thakur says that Vivo was not the only brand, which had bid for the IPL title sponsorship and that there were four brands, which were interested in coming on board as the title sponsor for the IPL and another three (apart from Vivo) were still interested in coming on board via different associations.. 

     

    Starting from 2014, Vivo initiated its global expansion including India. The company’s association with IPL is a strong sign of its ambition of the long term development in India. Moreover, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative also resonates with Vivo’s plan. Its assembly unit in Greater Noida is the first step toward this commitment. With Rs 125 crore first-phase investment, this unit will be operational in November, 2015.

     

    The company employs 8,000 people in India and has associated with over 10,000 retailers, in over 300 cities in 22 states, with a strong focus on Hi-Fi Music. The company embedded Hi-Fi & Smart into its brand and product genes. It created the world’s first Hi-Fi smartphone, established smartphone Hi-Fi standard and upgraded it to Hi-Fi 2.0.

  • Vivo dials into IPL’s title sponsorship as Pepsi fizzles out; BCCI meeting underway

    Vivo dials into IPL’s title sponsorship as Pepsi fizzles out; BCCI meeting underway

    NEW DELHI: The controversy ridden Indian Premier League (IPL) has got its third official sponsor in less than nine seasons of the tournament, with Chinese smartphone maker Vivo replacing PepsiCo as the next sponsor for two years.

     
    PepsiCo, which had replaced DLF as the title sponsor of the IPL, has gone global quoting Pepsi chairman Indra Nooyi saying that the company will only associate with ethical and clean sporting properties.

     
    Confirming the new sponsorship deal with Vivo to Indiantelevision.com, a source close to the development said that the terms and conditions will remain the same as with PepsiCo.

    At the time of filing this report, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla was not available for comment as it is understood he is attending a meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which is currently underway in Mumbai. 

     
    The source said Vivo is trying to establish its presence in the Indian market and will leverage the IPL platform for the same.

     

    PepsiCo had become title sponsor of the IPL in 2013 after they bid Rs 396.8 crore for five seasons until 2017. 

     

    Earlier this month, the cola giant had informed IPL COO Sundar Raman about the decision to withdraw.

     

    Shukla had earlier said the Pepsi pullout will have no bearing on the tournament as they were already in talks with other sponsors. Shukla had clarified that PepsiCo had been a good partner, had made certain points and the issue would be resolved amicably. 

    Sources indicated that PepsiCo will continue to be associated with the IPL as beverage partner with independent IPL teams.

     

    Prior to Pepsi, DLF had paid Rs 200 crore to become title sponsors of the tournament since its inception in 2008 till 2012.

     
    It is learnt that PepsiCo was disturbed at allegations of corruption as well as arrests of players and officials on charges of betting during its sponsorship term.

     
    These included Gurunath Meiyappan, then team official of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team, and Raj Kundra, then co-owner of Rajasthan Royals (RR), who had been given a clean chit by a commission appointed by then BCCI chief N Srinivasan. 

     
    After losing the case in the Bombay High Court, BCCI went to the Supreme Court, which in July appointed the Justice RM Lodha panel after which with CSK and RR teams were banned from the tournament for two years with Meiyappan and Kundra being banned for life.

  • Pepsi’s withdrawal ‘no big issue’: IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla

    Pepsi’s withdrawal ‘no big issue’: IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla

    MUMBAI: PepsiCo’s notice to BCCI to withdraw its sponsorship from the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) next leg has come as yet another setback to India’s most popular cricketing event.

     

    However, a source close to the development informs Indiantelevision.com, “Pepsi’s exit will have no negative impact on the brand value of the tournament and the board is confident of having a new sponsor way before the start of the next season.”

     

    IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla was quoted by PTI as saying, “We are in talks with other sponsors as well, so the title deal with Pepsi is not that big an issue. They have certain points and we are going to settle them amicably in the next meeting, They have been very good partners all this while and we do not want to disturb our relationship with them. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen in a very smooth manner.”

     

    Shukla further added, “Pepsi wants to end the deal due to its drenching foreign interests. They have shown a willingness to move out of the deal from this season because of their own interests and not because of disrepute and stuff. So they may not continue as the main sponsor.”

     

    The beverage giant wants to walk out of the five-year title contract, which due to expire in 2017, because of the cash-rich league’s incurring controversies.

     

    PepsiCo had paid Rs 396 crore ($71.77 million) from the 2013 – 2017 period. The BCCI will take up the matter during its working committee meeting in Mumbai on 18 October.

  • Indian cricket’s Rocky Balboa – Jagmohan Dalmiya passes away

    Indian cricket’s Rocky Balboa – Jagmohan Dalmiya passes away

    MUMBAI: The man had a lot of problems with India not hosting any big cricket tournament in its own backyard, the man who actually understood how big a business cricket is, the man who played a pivotal role in making the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), the richest cricket body in the world, the master of comebacks, the real politick – Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of BCCI, aged 75 died due to gastro intestinal bleeding on 20 September. He had been hospitalised since Thursday following a cardiac arrest.

     

    In the year 1979, Jagmohan Dalmiya – the son of construction tycoon Dalmiya and Co family joined BCCI, but he came in the forefront after winning the holding rights of world cricket’s biggest tournament – the World Cup in 1987. 

     

    At an early stage of his administrative career, he understood the value of making money, from advertisements between the overs to on-field sponsors, Dalmiya was instrumental in playing out every such initiative. 

     

    His opponents took many routes to oust him but true fighter that he was, Dalmiya made a come back each time. In 2006, he was accused of “misappropriation of funds” and was thrown out of all BCCI administrative posts. Media pundits claimed his administrative career to be clinically dead and a new era was welcomed under politician Sharad Pawar. 

     

    However, the game of the king of comebacks, was anything but over. Dalmiya overcame all obstacles with ease, hunger and political smartness. A year later in 2007 he made a comeback as president of Cricket Association of Bengal. In 2013 he took up the role of BCCI acting president when N Srinivasan was forced to step aside. In 2015 he became BCCI president again.

     

    His fights were not limited to cricket administration. Even off the field, whenever needed he made notable appearances to fight for his players. In the 2001 South Africa tour, several Indian players were reprimanded by English referee Mike Denness, which was backed by ICC chief executive Malcom Speed. But Dalmiya decided to back his players and it turned out to be a war between Dalmiya and rest. The result was overwhelming. The third test for which the players were reprimanded became an unofficial one, other than the ban on Virender Sehwag, all other bans were lifted. The most important and notable outcome of the entire Denness Affair was that the Englishman managed to officiate in only two test matches and three ODIs. Post that, his contract was never renewed by the ICC.

     

    Dalmiya was at the forefront of many creations but what arguably will remain as one of the biggest creation of his would be cricketer Sourav Ganguly. Many still say that the master class batsmen would have never worn the national jersey if Dalmiya was not there in the administration. It was he who played a vital role in Ganguly’s debut.

     

    Many BCCI leaders will tweet and give news bytes condoling his death, but the only way to respect his contribution will be by bringing utmost transparency in the board’s administration. 

     

    Rest in Peace Mr. Dalmiya!

  • BCCI loses second arbitration case, to pay Nimbus Rs 12 crore

    BCCI loses second arbitration case, to pay Nimbus Rs 12 crore

    MUMBAI: Sports broadcaster and media and entertainment company Nimbus Communications has won its second arbitration against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding dispute over a television production agreement.

     

    As a result of this, BCCI will have to pay Nimbus a sum of Rs 11.88 crore as on 31 August, 2015.

     

    Dispute between Nimbus and BCCI arose in late 2011 on three separate contracts post, which the matter was taken to the Arbitral Tribunal.

     

    Headed by Justice S. H. Kapadia, the Arbitral Tribunal ruled in favour of Nimbus and upheld and allowed the claim of Nimbus in two parts with interest and costs.

     

    The claim of Nimbus for principal amount along with interest (on principal amount from the date of invoices till 28 October, 2013, being date of filing statement of claim by Nimbus) amounting to total of Rs 9.81 crore and further interest at nine per cent per annum on principal amount from 28 October, 2013 till date of payment.

     

    Additionally, the Tribunal awarded Rs 20.47 lakh claim of Nimbus for reimbursement of Bank Guarantee Commission charges with interest at nine per cent per annum from 28 October, 2013 till date of payment.

     

    Lastly, costs quantified at Rs 55.73 lakh have also been awarded to Nimbus. The total of these costs amount to a sum of Rs 11.88 crore.

     

    The arbitral proceedings had commenced on 22 October, 2013 arising out of disputes pertaining to the TV production agreement between the two parties and BCCI dated 29 September, 2010 which was terminated by BCCI on 20 April, 2012.

     

    Nimbus had also won the first arbitration in August 2014, which was in relation to supply of equipment and technical services. The total amount including principal amount, interest and costs was approximately Rs 10 crore. BCCI’s appeal in that regard was dismissed by the Bombay High Court and no further appeal is now possible due to the period allowed for further appeal now having expired. 

     

    With this, Nimbus has now won both its completed arbitrations versus BCCI. The third arbitration, relating to media rights is underway and expected to conclude over the next few months. Nimbus’ claim in the same is in excess of Rs 4000 crore plus interest.