ITV

Tag: Bhuvneshwar Kumar

  • Puma hits it out of the park with fan-first billboard for RCB supporters

    Puma hits it out of the park with fan-first billboard for RCB supporters

    MUMBAI: Bengaluru’s skies just got a sixer’s worth of star power courtesy of RCB fans. As IPL fever tightens its grip on the country, Puma India is taking the fandom game up a notch by putting Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) loyalists on the big screen literally. In a first-of-its-kind digital activation, fans can now appear alongside their cricketing idols on a high-impact billboard in Bengaluru through a unique ‘Fan on a Billboard’ experience.

    The campaign launched ahead of RCB’s home match on April 18, featuring RCB’s biggest names Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Krunal Pandya, Liam Livingstone, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Phil Salt. All it takes is a trip to the Puma stores at Indiranagar or Brigade Road, where fans can don their official Puma x RCB jerseys and capture pictures or videos with virtual versions of their heroes in a specially designed photo booth. The cherry on top? Their content gets beamed across the city on a giant digital screen.

    RCB, with over 18 million Instagram followers, recently bagged the title of India’s most-followed cricket franchise. With a billion searches and 12 million social media conversations in 2024 alone, Puma’s campaign taps into a massive well of fan passion and turns it into something unforgettable.

    “At Puma, we’ve always kept the consumer at the center of everything we do, especially when it comes to sport,” said Puma India, director of marketing Shreya Sachdev. “RCB fans are some of the most passionate out there, and this experience is our way of putting them right where they belong next to their heroes. In a world where tech often takes people further apart, we’re using it to do the opposite, bringing fans closer to the game and the players they love,” she added.

    The activation also signals how Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising is evolving in India. According to the Pitch Madison Advertising Report 2025, OOH revenues jumped from Rs 4,140 crore in 2023 to Rs 4,650 crore in 2024 and are expected to grow at 12 per cent in 2025. But Puma’s effort goes beyond static visualsM it’s an immersive, personalised moment on a public canvas, giving fans their 15 seconds of fame, backed by serious tech muscle.

    From turning store names into Puma to honour PV Sindhu, to crafting an anthem from runners’ warm-up sounds, to letting fans “dive” into AI-generated campaigns Puma India has been sprinting ahead in innovation. With the Fan on a Billboard experience, they’ve bowled over cricket lovers once again making sure the fans don’t just wear the jersey, they become part of the game.

  • Birla Estates and RCB forge stronger ties with star-studded T20 campaign

    Birla Estates and RCB forge stronger ties with star-studded T20 campaign

    MUMBAI: Birla Estates, has launched its much-anticipated Indian T20 2025 campaign, featuring Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Krunal Pandya. With the tagline ‘Every sq.ft. tells a story’, the campaign highlights the dreams, aspirations, and emotions that make every home special.

    Taking its association with cricket a step further, Birla Estates is now the principal sponsor of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the upcoming T20 season. This marks the fourth consecutive year of collaboration, reinforcing shared values of excellence, ambition, and perseverance between the brand and the sport.

    The campaign, conceptualised by Mccann, features three engaging digital films that draw a compelling parallel between Chinnaswamy Stadium RCB’s iconic home ground and Birla Estates homes. Just as every patch of grass and every square foot of ground at Chinnaswamy has witnessed unforgettable moments, every square foot of a Birla home holds priceless memories encapsulated in the campaign’s core message, Storiespersqft.

    One of the campaign’s standout films showcases Kohli executing a stunning mid-air catch, with the voiceover stating, “To feel superhuman. just 5 sq.ft.” Another features Kohli and Krunal exchanging a fist bump while running between the wickets, with the tagline, “To become great partners. it takes 22 yards.” These visuals cleverly reinforce the idea that significant moments don’t require vast spaces—just meaningful ones.

    Birla Estates head of marketing Anitha Krishnan stated, “Our long-standing partnership with RCB has evolved over the seasons, and we take immense pride in being the principal sponsor, with our brand prominently displayed on the players’ jerseys. This placement reflects our deep commitment to cricket as a platform that resonates with our audience. Our campaign is an extension of our larger corporate vision—one that goes beyond building structures to creating spaces that tell meaningful stories. Just as every cricketing milestone represents years of dedication and achievement, every home becomes a backdrop for life’s most cherished moments. Through this campaign, we aim to create a strong emotional connection with homebuyers—aligning their aspirations with the journey of cricketers. It beautifully blends the passion for cricket with the pride of homeownership—two defining milestones in Indian culture.”

    RCB COO Rajesh Menon added, “We are delighted to continue our association with Birla Estates as a valued member of the RCB family. Their commitment to excellence and innovation mirrors the ethos of our team. Together, we aim to elevate the fan experience and create unforgettable memories both on and off the field. This partnership is a testimony to our shared vision of inspiring and engaging millions of cricket enthusiasts.”

    Last year, Birla Estates’ T20 campaign generated 41.3 million impressions and reached over 10 million fans. As the 2025 season unfolds, cricket lovers can look forward to an exciting line-up of games, digital activations, and engaging initiatives—all driven by this powerful collaboration.

  • Navi UPI becomes official UPI partner of RCB for T20 2025

    Navi UPI becomes official UPI partner of RCB for T20 2025

    MUMBAI: Navi UPI has been announced as the official UPI partner of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the T20 2025 season. This collaboration grants Navi UPI users a 24-hour exclusive early access window to book tickets for RCB’s home matches before general sales open.

    RCB, enters the 2025 season with a restructured squad led by Rajat Patidar. With players including Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the team is set to make an impact in the highly anticipated 18 edition of the tournament, which will see 10 teams competing across 74 matches from 22 March to 25 May in 13 cities across India.

    Navi Technologies CEO Rajiv Naresh said, “Navi UPI is growing rapidly, and teaming up with RCB was a natural choice given the immense passion for cricket. This partnership allows us to bring fans closer to the game while delivering a seamless digital payment experience.”

    As part of the tie-up, Navi UPI users will receive early access to RCB home match tickets,

    – For the first four matches, early booking opens at 11 am on 18 March, while general sales begin at 11 am on 19 March.

    – For the remaining three matches, early access will be available later in the season, again giving Navi UPI users a 24-hour priority window.

    A dedicated banner on the Navi app will provide direct access to these exclusive tickets. Fans can book by downloading the Navi app, selecting the RCB ticket booking option, choosing their preferred match and ticket category, and completing payment via Navi UPI.

    RCB chief operating officer Rajesh Menon said, “We are excited to collaborate with Navi as our official UPI partner. This aligns perfectly with our vision to enhance fan engagement through seamless and innovative experiences.” 

  • PlayerzPot extends its association with Smriti Mandhana & Bhuvneshwar Kumar

    PlayerzPot extends its association with Smriti Mandhana & Bhuvneshwar Kumar

    Mumbai: Online gaming platform PlayerzPot has announced the extension of its association with cricketing stalwarts Smriti Mandhana and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as brand ambassadors. The sports stars were roped in by the brand in 2020.

    Both Mandhana & Kumar will drive 360-degree communication through various campaigns and activities and promote the brand through their social media, the platform said in a statement. “This comes close on the heels of announcing a massive re-branding exercise,” it added.

    “We are thrilled to announce that we have agreed to extend this successful association with Smriti and Bhuvneshwar by another term,” said PlayerzPot CEO Sunil Yadav. “We have another action-packed year ahead, and we could think of none better who understand our brand DNA and culture the way Smriti and Bhuvneshwar do. We look forward to another fantastic year of collaboration with them.”

    Smriti Mandhana shared, “It is interesting to witness the remarkable growth of fantasy gaming in the country. I am delighted to be a part of PlayerzPot that has been at the forefront of this growth. The platform has been exceptional in building a strong connection with sports enthusiasts.”
    Bhuvneshwar Kumar added, “I am excited to extend my partnership with Playerzpot. The brand has only grown from the time this partnership started. The category and the company are giving people an opportunity to take their passion to the next level. It is empowering & entertaining sports enthusiasts at the same time.”

    Ahead of IPL 2021, Playerzpot recently launched a campaign with its brand-new logo, tagline, and groovy rap. The campaign proved to be successful for the brand with app downloads and user time per session zooming up, the platform said.

  • ASICS India collaborates with Ambient OOH to amplify #PaceToGlory

    ASICS India collaborates with Ambient OOH to amplify #PaceToGlory

    MUMBAI: Japanese high-performance sports brand, ASICS in collaboration with Ambient OOH hosted a range of engagement activities to further amplify the #PaceToGlory campaign. The #PaceToGlory campaign is a combination of the brand’s commitment in making India fit and their core value of delivering high-performance sportswear. The objective of the campaign is to inspire people of all ages and abilities to move more and enjoy the physical and mental benefits of exercise.

    Keeping in mind the spirit of the ICC Cricket World Cup there couldn’t be a better time to leverage this activation in Delhi and Mumbai. Additionally, cricket being a very important segment for ASICS globally, they have titled Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as its brand ambassadors in India as their attributes like pace, rhythm and perfect timing resonates highly with the brand.

    The #PaceToGlory on ground activation encouraged participants to wear the ASICS shoes available at the kiosk and run on a spot that had motion calibrated to the screen. On running faster, the avatar of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar was unveiled. Those unveiling the image in the least amount of time won vouchers from ASICS.

    As part of the second engagement activity named Pace to Store, participants had to slip on the ASICS shoes and put on the complete cricket gear. Post which they had to run towards the store in the least amount of time and on completion their time was displayed on the leaderboard. To increase the excitement, participants could share their warm wishes and messages to the India Cricket team through the Wishing Wall available at the venue.

    The idea of bringing together a whole lot of engagement, a pinch of challenge and a complete product experience generated the necessary attraction for the brand. The two-week long activation is an extension of the brand’s marketing philosophy, focused on the 70-year philosophy of ‘making people move’. The activation executed at malls across Delhi and Mumbai garnered 1500+ engagements and 2.5 lakh impressions.

    Speaking on the campaign, Ambient OOH EVP Deepak Kumar said, “The enthusiasm around the World Cup fever has been steep, while our Cricketers were sporting ASICS gears on field, so spotting an ASICS activation on ground naturally takes the excitement up a notch. Additionally, ASICS and Ambient offered audiences an opportunity to experience the comfort and grip that our sportsmen have been raving about. Pace to Glory is a one of a kind, purpose led initiative and we feel privileged to be a part of the same.”

  • Vengsarkar to receive lifetime achievement award from BCCI

    Vengsarkar to receive lifetime achievement award from BCCI

    MUMBAI: One of India’s best batsmen ever and former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, will be the recipient of the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. The cricketer has been nominated for the award by a committee comprising of senior media personality Shekhar Gupta, BCCI interim president Shivlal Yadav and BCCI honorary secretary Sanjay Patel. The award comprises a citation, trophy and cheque for Rs 25 lakh.

    Vengsarkar came into national prominence with a belligerent hundred for Mumbai against the Rest of India in the Irani Cup game at the start of the 1975-76 season. He is the only non-English batsman to score three Test hundreds at Lord’s. The third of those hundreds – an unbeaten 126 in 1986 – set up India’s first Test win at the venue. The second Indian to have played 100 Tests, Vengsarkar was rated the world’s number one batsman in the year 1986-87. Being a member of the Indian team that won the World Cup in 1983 and the World Championship of Cricket in 1985, he led India in ten Tests in 1987-89. He was chairman of the BCCI’s talent research development committee for three years, and the chairman of the All-India senior selection committee for the period, 2006-08.

    Meanwhile Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the winner of the annual Polly Umrigar Award, for being India’s best international cricketer of the 2013-14 season. The award comprises a trophy and a cheque for Rs 5 lakh.                                           

    LIST OF AWARDEES

    PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THE AWARD
    1994 – Lala Amarnath
    1995 – Syed Mushtaq Ali
    1996 – Capt. Vijay Hazare
    1997 – K.N. Prabhu
    1998 – P. R. Umrigar
    1999 – Col. Hemachandra Adhikari
    2000 – Subhash Gupte
    2001 – Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi
    2002 – Bhausaheb Nimbalkar
    2003 – Chandrakant Borde
    2004 – B.S. Bedi, B. Chandrasekhar, EAS Prasanna, S. Venkataraghvan
    2007 – Nariman Contractor
    2008 – Gundappa Viswanath
    2009 – Mohinder Amarnath
    2010 – Salim Durani
    2011 – Ajit Wadekar
    2012 – Sunil Gavaskar
    2013 – Kapil Dev Nikhanj
     

  • South Africa sets eye on number one ODI ranking in New Zealand

    South Africa sets eye on number one ODI ranking in New Zealand

     MUMBAI: South Africa has a chance to reclaim the top spot in the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings when it faces New Zealand in first of the three One-Day Internationals (ODIs), which starts on Wednesday in Mount Maunganui.

    South Africa shares second position with India on 113 ratings point, but is ranked behind the reigning world champion by a fraction of the point. The two sides are just one ratings point behind Australia, and a 3-0 series will put South Africa ahead of the four-time world champion by one ratings point.

    If South Africa manages to win all the three matches against New Zealand, then it will reclaim the number-one position for the first time in five years after handing over the baton to Australia following its first-round elimination from ICC Champions Trophy 2009.

    On the other side of the coin, if New Zealand wins the series, then it will leapfrog Pakistan into sixth position. Currently, both Pakistan and New Zealand are on equal points on 98 ratings points but the Black Caps are in seventh position when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

    Meanwhile, AB de Villiers of South Africa goes into the forthcoming series as the number-one ranked batsman in the Reliance ICC ODI Player Rankings and he will be looking to build on his fine recent run of form as the Proteas and Black Caps continue their ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 preparations.

    Virat Kohli’s recent progression up the rankings following a good series against the West Indies has pushed Hashim Amla into second position and the South Africa opener will be aiming to reduce the five-point deficit.

    Overall, there are four South Africa batsmen inside the top 20, including de Villiers and Amla, with Quinton de Kock in ninth position and Francois du Plessis in 11th spot, just 19 ratings points behind his team-mate.

    New Zealand’s top-ranked batsman is Ross Taylor who sits in 10th place in the current rankings. There are two more New Zealanders inside the top 20, namely Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill and be eyeing positive improvements in their home series. Skipper Brendon McCullum lies 20 ratings points adrift of his team-mate Guptill.

    On the Reliance ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers, South African paceman and LG ICC People’s Choice award nominee, Dale Steyn, will go into the series as the top-ranked bowler in third place, while ninth placed Ryan McLaren is a point adrift of Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez. Kyle Mills is Black Caps’ leading bowler in 13th place, with Tim Southee lying a solitary ratings point outside the top 20.

    Incidentally, Mount Maunganui, which is hosting the first two ODIs on Tuesday and Friday, will debut as an international venue this week. The third ODI will be played in Hamilton which will host South Africa’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Pool B clash with Zimbabwe on 15 February. Co-hosts New Zealand will also return to the north island city to face Bangladesh on 13 March.

    Meanwhile, India’s players have made gains in the latest rankings following their 2-1 series win over West Indies.

    Kohli has benefitted the most following his series contribution of 191 runs, which included a top score of 127 in the final match of the series in Dharamsala, as he has climbed one place into second position and 16 points off the top spot.

    West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels has leaped 20 places to 41st after compiling the highest series aggregate of 254 runs with two centuries. India’s Ajinkya Rahane is the other major mover in the batting rankings, moving up nine places to 59th position.

    Amongst the bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is also one the nominees for the LG People’s Choice Award, has shown the most improvement by breaking into the top 10 for the first time by climbing seven places to seventh, just three point off his compatriot Ravindra Jadeja.

    Mohammed Shami ended the series as the most successful bowler with 10 for 174, following on from a fine recent series in England where he claimed eight for 152. Shami has vaulted five places to 16th and in doing so he has broken into the top 20 for the first time in his career.

    Jerome Taylor was the West Indies’ leading wicket-taker in the series and his tally of five for 181 in the three ODIs and has helped him return to the bowlers’ table in 143rd position. Andre Russell was another significant advancer and has climbed seven places to joint 63rdposition after claiming two wickets in the series.

    The ICC Player Rankings for all rounders sees Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez lead the way with a significant 24-point gap over Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews.