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Tag: Rajasthan Royals

  • IPL season 9 remains sponsor heavy despite earlier setbacks: Onspon.com study

    IPL season 9 remains sponsor heavy despite earlier setbacks: Onspon.com study

    Mumbai: IPL season nine has been the subject of many headlines – good and bad. The betting scandal leading to two popular teams  — Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals —   being banned; and its title sponsor Pepsi’s exit from the league didn’t help the tournaments reputation either.  Questions that rose on the tournaments fate and the sponsorship dilemma were soon answered when Chinese smart phone brand Vivo bagged the title sponsorship right for the next two seasons. Vivo plans to spend an additional Rs 200 crore on strengthening the brand association with IPL.

    Now, owing to India’s performance at the T20 World Cup, sentiments around IPL Season 9 are on the positive side. A week prior to the IPL season, sponsors such as FreeCharge  and Maruti Suzuki had confirmed their associations with the league. These central level sponsorships are each estimated around Rs 10 Crore and above as per a study conducted by Onspon.com.

    At a team level too, the teams are seeing an increased interest from brands, where team sponsorships are getting closed faster, whereas last year half the slots were available until about two to three days prior to the IPL. While commercials for team level sponsorship rights were expected to take a dip due to the betting fiasco surrounding IPL, teams have been in a position to bag sponsors at commercials similar to those of last years, the study revealed.

    These team level sponsorship rights range from Rs 1 crore to Rs 20 crores – dependent on the logo spot on the jersey and other rights such as player imagery, merchandise options etc. A number of sponsors have in-fact also continued their association with their respective teams.

    Coming to the two new IPL teams, Pune Super Giants and Gujarat Lions have also been successful in clinching lucrative sponsorship deals with each of these teams managing to rope in about 10 sponsors each. With the Pune franchise boasting of a star studded line-up, including the likes of M.S Dhoni, Faf du Plessis, Ajinkya Rahane, Kevin Pietersen etc – the Pune franchise has emerged as a strong IPL title contender and has managed to bag sponsor’s within the Rs 2 Crore to Rs 16 crore range.

    The Gujarat franchise, owned by smartphone manufacturer Intex has also bagged a number of high value sponsorships ranging from Rs 1.5 Crore to Rs 15 crores.

    As per Onspon.com  the reason for the increased sponsorship interests from brands in this season’s IPL can be attributed to the pre-event cricket warm-up from the multiple cricket series leading to IPL – making the brand continuity easier and effective.

    Faraaz Peerbhai who leads brand partnerships at Onspon.com said, “Additionally, the low event density in the non-sport space – with few high voltage movie releases or any other major music events, making sponsorship routing to IPL more effective. The advent of early summers have also lead to buoyancy in consumption categories such as FMCG, Air-conditioners – thereby leading to pre-allocation of marketing budgets, especially for categories such as drinks, consumer durables etc,” Peerbhai added.

    If one were to look into brand categpries in IPL, a number of FMCG brands such as Haldiram’s, Britannia, Mother Dairy – Deodorant brands such as Sparkle, Kama Sutra have partnered with various IPL teams. Air-conditioner brands such as Daikin, Lloyd and Sansui have also partnered with teams such as Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata respectively.

    The smartphone category as-well has taken to IPL Season 9 in a huge way – Three big smartphone manufactures entering (or re-structuring their entry) in India (Oppo, Vivo and LeEco) have allocated a significant budget to cricket and in particular IPL. They are seeking to leverage IPL to create awareness about their brand and reach out to the young audiences.

    Overall, after the pre-IPL ambiguity, IPL Season 9 is seeing a massive positive upswing from sponsors and audience alike.

  • Rs 1500 crore riding on World T20 & IPL’s back to back play out in 2016

    Rs 1500 crore riding on World T20 & IPL’s back to back play out in 2016

    MUMBAI: Come 2016 and merely five days separate the two flagship cricketing extravaganzas – the ICC World T20 and the Indian Premier League (IPL). Even as World T20 draws to a close on 3 April, IPL takes to the ground on 9 April and riding on the two tourneys in terms of advertising spends by multiple brands is approximately Rs 1500 crore.

    While one tournament invokes national pride, the other appeals to emotions at a more regional level. The two tournaments will be played over a span of 80 days, which in turn poses the threat of fatigue.

    On one side, Star India will be pulling all stops in order to rake in the highest possible revenue. The broadcaster had an average 50 over World Cup played in Australia and New Zealand, which generated ad revenue of approximately Rs 400 crore. On the other hand, there’s Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India (erstwhile Multi Screen Media), which has two more editions of the IPL with them to break even and close with a neat profit. The remaining two seasons will be very crucial for SPN India’s balance sheets. It should be recalled that MSM acquired the rights of the tournament for a period of 10 years in 2007 after dishing out a whopping $1 billion.

    Ad spends on the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup can go up to Rs 400 crore including digital as per estimates of a senior media planner. “At the same time, if Sony goes by their normal 10 per cent ad rate hike even for the 2016 edition of IPL, they should manage to generate close to Rs 1100 crore, which I think they would be happy with,” the planner adds. Similar estimates were drawn by multiple other media planning executives that Indiantelevision.com spoke to.

    So when Rs 1500 crore is on the line for two major cricketing events, will the back to back scheduling eat into one another’s ad pie?

    Havas Media Group, India & South Asia CEO Anita Nayyar is of the opinion that it will not. “I don’t think the schedules of either of the tournaments will effect the advertising spends they are expecting. Whether it’s ICC World T20 or IPL season 9, there are different clients focused on them. IPL specially enjoys a different section of advertisers, who keep an eye on it in well in advance. Even with the common advertisers, it’s a question of their marketing and advertising budgets. Marketers plan their spends for a year in advance after looking at the calendar. I am sure they have prepared for both the cricketing events,” she says.

    Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia CEO and chairman Ashish Bhasin concurs with Nayyar. “I don’t think that the two tournaments scheduled one after another will have an affect on their ad revenues. This is not the first time that it’s happening. Often we do see tournaments like the IPL leading to a different sporting event or vice versa. Marketers and advertisers who look forward to such events plan their budgets and strategies accordingly in advance,” he says.

    IPL and World T20 are completely different ball games when it comes to ad spends according to Bhasin. He says, “World Cup invokes following and fandom for team India. While it appeals to everyone, it is when the India matches air that our audience is mostly interested. That is why you see peaks of viewership for India matches, which reduce drastically if India is out of the tournament early. Whereas IPL retains the general interest of all. Marketers are aware that IPL is prolonged entertainment. It is not just the game but all the action around it. Therefore, advertisers strategise for IPL and World T20 in a different way.”

    The most consistent team of the IPL – Chennai Super Kings (CSK) owned by N Srinivasan promoted India Cements will not be a part of the tournament courtesy a two year ban imposed on it. The two year ban has also been imposed on Rajasthan Royals (RR). The Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has added two new franchises in the interim period. The players of the two banned teams thereby went under the hammer and after following the bidding process, the two new teams – Pune and Rajkot – absorbed them. So cricket fans will get to see their idols albeit wearing a different coloured jersey and maybe even in a new role.

    When queried as to how the absence of CSK and RR teams will impact the brand value of the tournament, Bhasin says that it might leave a certain impact on the ad rates. “Two of the biggest teams are out of the tournament and new ones have been introduced. At a time like this, clients may start questioning the credibility of the tournament all together. If the tournament has to retain its advertisers, they have to work on keeping the credibility intact,” he adds.

    “Having said that, a popular event like IPL will never have a lack of sponsors. The key issue is the ad slot prices. Over the years we have seen an increase in ad rates from the preceding tournaments for every new season. This year however, it will be hard to aim for higher ad rates for the ad slots,” he asserts.

    One thing that the SPN India president – ad sales Rohit Gupta and his team managed to achieve over the years is a constant hike in ad rates. The tournament 2015 edition, as per Indiantelevision.com’s analysis, raked in over Rs 1000 crore to make it one of the best ever IPL for the network. In the previous edition, the tournament hiked the ad rates by close to 15 per cent, taking the price of a 10-second slot to Rs 4.5 – 5 lakh. The tournament’s viewership has also kept ascending with time, and keeping the regional importance in mind, the broadcaster relayed the tourney in six different languages last year. Last year IPL was welcomed by ICC cricket World Cup. Played in Australia and New Zealand on a totally different time zone, the 50 over tournament did no harm to the flagship domestic T20 tournament.

    If sources are to believed then Star India is all set to bring back the Mauka Mauka craze. The ad campaign emerged as one of the most talked about elements during the ICC World Cup earlier this year.

    A cricket expert on condition of anonymity says, “The quality of cricket is elite in both the tournaments. India will be playing Pakistan in one of the league matches and I think that will be one of the most viewed matches of the year. Having said so, the enthusiasm won’t be similar during non-India matches, whereas when it comes to the IPL because of its unity in diversity nature all the matches turns out to be of equal importance. Pune is a good inclusion but I doubt if the pitch will last seven matches because last the time it did not. If you ask me to choose one between IPL or ICC World T20 Cup from a cricketer’s point of view, I will choose the IPL because of it’s consistent quality for a longer period of time whereas, as an Indian I will choose the World Cup because at the end of the day, when the National Anthem resonates, the feeling is special.”

    That said, the first half of 2016 will definitely be exciting for cricket, broadcasters, advertisers as well as fans of the game.

  • IPL Governing Council proposes 2 new teams; total 10 teams after CSK, RR ban lifts

    IPL Governing Council proposes 2 new teams; total 10 teams after CSK, RR ban lifts

    MUMBAI: A moment of respite and glory may come for Multi Screen Media (MSM) – the official broadcaster of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the league’s governing council floated a proposal of adding two new teams to replace the suspended Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) spot. 

     

    Additionally, the IPL governing council also proposed that after the two year ban was lifted from both the teams, the IPL will be a 10 team affair.

     

    “One suggestion is to have two new teams only for two years and replace them with CSK and RR in 2018 when they come back,” an IPL GC member told PTI today (27 August).

     

    “The second suggestion is to make it 10 teams from 2018 onwards once the two suspended franchises complete their sentence,” he added.

     

    The council’s two proposals will be put forward to the BCCI Working Committee on 28 August.

     

    MSM holds the broadcasting rights of IPL till 2018, which means that the last season of its IPL broadcasting tenure will be an elongated one with 10 teams. Trade media experts and economists believes that the MSM will make a profit from the revenue generated in the 2018 edition. If the proposal is accepted, it will be icing on the cake for MSM as 10 teams means more number of matches and subsequently a longer time span to monetise.

     

    The broadcaster raked in more than Rs 1000 crore in 2015 edition of the multi million dollar tourney. It may be recalled that MSM bagged the IPL broadcasting rights for a whopping $1 billion.

     

    Broadcasters, who are gearing up to bid for the IPL telecast rights when it comes up for grasp again, are making their permutations and combinations to bid for the tournament. It’s no rocket science that they will be following the developments closely.

     

    Now it remains to be seen whether CSK and RR players are relieved by their respective franchises and are allowed to participate in next edition of IPL.

  • Six-team IPL may disrupt BCCI’s economics: experts

    Six-team IPL may disrupt BCCI’s economics: experts

    MUMBAI: When Justice Lodha committee spelt a part of its landmark verdict on 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) betting case on the afternoon of 14 July, 2015, many ripples were created.

     

    IPL is the largest revenue generating property of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI). As per the board’s 2013-14 annual report, gross receipts from IPL 2013 were Rs 1194 crore as against Rs 892 crore in 2012. The main reason behind the increase in gross receipt, as per then honorary treasurer, was mainly incline in receipts from media rights which has gone up from Rs 556 crore to Rs 844 crore. The franchisee consideration had also witnessed a marginal incline from Rs 460 crore to Rs 502 crore. Now with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) being suspended for a period of two years by the Justice Lodha Committee, the reduction of two teams will result in less number of matches and subsequently generate lesser revenue for the Board as the broadcaster will pay less than the proposed deal.

     

    Apart from BCCI, the official broadcaster of IPL – Multi Screen Media’s (MSM) Sony Max will also face a major blow if the number of matches go down. MSM paid a mammoth $1 billion (Rs 6600 crore) to acquire broadcasting rights for a period of ten years. Lesser number of matches will leave Sony with less opportunities for monetization. The 2015-16 season of IPL was the most successful year for Sony as the broadcasters sealed advertising deals of more than Rs 1000 crore before the first ball was bowled.

     

    A source closely associated with the broadcasting network tells Indiantelevision.com on condition of anonymity, “It’s too early to predict anything and also it’s highly unlikely that BCCI will enter IPL with six franchises. This is a judicial step taken and the entire fraternity will abide by it. The broadcaster will wait and watch what BCCI does and the best part is there is time in hand to ensure smooth proceedings.”

     

    As per TAM Sports analysis, CSK matches in IPL 8 (2015) garnered 4.2 per cent TVR whereas RR matches secured 3.7 per cent TVR. Moreover, as per the analysis, CSK featured six times in the list of top viewed matches of the season, which only goes on to prove the growing popularity of the MS Dhoni led team.

     

    If IPL is played with six teams, the million dollar tourney will have 34 matches in total instead of 60. A cricket expert opines, “Firstly, we have to keep in mind that the two teams are suspended for two years and not for life. Now, in the meantime if BCCI adds two more teams to make it eight again, after two years when the two teams are back, IPL will be a 10 team tourney and that’s when it goes for pitch. So the hypothesis that the IPL will face a blow, is a null hypothesis. And if we think that because of the controversies, Indians will stop watching IPL then we are wrong because if it had to happen it would have happened in 2014 and 2015 because the case we are talking about is of 2013. So I see the IPL only growing bigger.”

     

    On the brand value of IPL, Baseline managing director Tuhin Mishra says, “There might be a bit of a blip, but it’s temporary. The game of cricket and IPL are much bigger than a few individuals. It’s a game that is embraced by Indians and the world over. Controversies and incidents have been a part of sports from time immemorial and this too shall pass.”

     

    Revenue from ticket sales will easily see a 25 per cent decline if there are only six teams feels a senior member of an e-ticketing giant. Every match of IPL witnesses more than Rs 7 crore gross in ticket sales and hence if the number of matches go down, ticketing revenue will also decline, which will in turn result in a substantial loss of e-ticketing venture associated with the league.

     

    Addressing a press conference after the Justice Lodha Committee verdict was delivered, Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra said, “I am shocked and hurt. There are many inaccuracies… have requested for a copy of judgment.”

     

    As per a PTI report, India Cements is set to move to Supreme Court and appeal against the order of the Lodha Committee. However, it must be kept in mind that it was the apex court, which in the first place, appointed the Lodha Committee to investigate the matter and said that its verdict on the case would be “final and binding.” 

     

    Following the pronouncement of the order of the Lodha Committee, BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya said, “BCCI is committed to honour and respect judicial decisions and it would give its observations after the entire report is read and a collective decision is taken. BCCI is committed to ensuring transparency, accountability and cleansing the sport in order to restore the faith and confidence of millions of cricket loving people in the glorious game of cricket in general and IPL in particular.”

     

    Veteran cricket expert Ayaz Memon tweeted, “Most significant import of Lodha verdict? Busted time-held defence of BCCI that it’s a private society, which can function with its own rules.” Another tweet from him read, “Momentous day not just in Indian but international cricket. Tremor will be felt everywhere….”

     

    The focus now will gradually shift towards the broadcasting rights bid for the IPL in 2017 as there will be a number of broadcasters aggressively vying to get their hands on the Twenty20 cash cow. A senior media planner is of the opinion that things will get interesting with time. “An IPL comprising six teams will enforce 30 per cent loss if compared to the number registered this year. But a 10 team IPL will raise the brand value enormously as the broadcaster will have additional time to monetise.”

     

    Experts also believe that the ball now is in BCCI honorary secretary Anurag Thakur’s court and he will play a pivotal role in the fate of the league. Speaking on the verdict and the way forward Thakur said, “We respect the verdict and would undertake a collective decision in a transparent manner, in the right direction and in the larger interest of the game after the verdict is received and analysed.”

     

    Click to View CSK and RR matches viewership pattern (TAM Sports)

    Click to View Overall ratings click (TAM Sports)

  • IPL: Justice Lodha committee bans CSK, Rajasthan Royals for two years

    IPL: Justice Lodha committee bans CSK, Rajasthan Royals for two years

    MUMBAI: In a landmark judgement, which has come as a major blow to the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Supreme Court appointed Justice Lodha Committee has suggested that two teams namely Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) be suspended for two years from playing in the cash-rich tourney.

     

    Moreover, Gurunath Meiyappan, the son-in-law of ex-BCCI chief and CSK owner N Srinivasan, and Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra have also been suspended for five years from involvement in any type of cricket matches with the BCCI. Additionally, Meiyappan and Kundra have been banned for life from any cricketing activity as they have violated the rules of IPL and cricket.

     

    “The purity of the game has been affected by the actions of India Cements and CSK. Fans have been cheated. India Cements did not take any action against Meiyappan. I propose to impose sanctions on India Cement’s franchise by suspending it from the league for two years. RR can’t shrink responsibility by saying Kundra acted in personal capacity. RR is also suspended for two years from IPL,” Justice Lodha said.

     

    Informing the media that Meiyappan suffered a loss of Rs 60 lakh in bets, Justice Lodha said that Meiyappan’s passion for the game was questionable and that he put the game into disrepute as a team official.

     

    “Three RR players were arrested for charges of fixing in 2013. Also a player was approached this year. This shows all is not well in RR. The purity of game must remain central to cricket,” he added.
     

    Speaking about the future of the two franchisees that have been suspended, Justice Lodha said that it was for the BCCI to decide whether CSK or RR will be bought by another franchise.

     

    Clarifying that the committee had not decided any criminal liability, Justice Lodha said that the committee had acted on behalf of BCCI. “The law will take its own course. No criminal liability has been decided by us,” he said.

     

    The Lodha Committee was appointed by a Supreme Court Bench on 22 January. Its verdict will be final and binding on the BCCI, the promoters and owners of the IPL.

     

    The IPL match fixing scandal came to light in May 2013 when the Delhi Police arrested three Rajasthan Royals players S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan for being involved in match fixing.

     

    Pertinent to note here is that the broadcasting rights of IPL, which currently vest with Multi Screen Media (MSM), are slated to come up for bidding in 2016-17. MSM had the rights to the T20 tourney for a period of nine years, which is up to 2017. Whether this landmark outcome of the 2013 match-fixing scandal will have an impact on the bidding price remains to be seen.

  • Videogram to deliver what YouTube can’t; targets entertainment, sports & fashion

    Videogram to deliver what YouTube can’t; targets entertainment, sports & fashion

    MUMBAI: Why buffer the entire video on YouTube when you are interested in seeing only a particular part? Because there is no other option available? Now, there is a brand that has gone deep into the mind of video streaming consumers to understand their problems and has come out with an innovation called Videogram.

     

    Videogram enables users to see a particular part of the video without buffering the entire piece. Such a product is definitely welcome in a country like ours where we are still grappling with bandwidth issues.

     

    Co-founded by two Indians – Sandeep Casi and Rahul Golecha, Videogram is a global entrepreneurial venture offering innovative video solutions. Founded in 2012, the venture is a flagship product of Silicon Valley based Cinemacraft, headquartered in Tokyo.

     

    “While the entire world was happy with the streaming services and techniques available, we were brainstorming to find a solution because we repeatedly saw people wasting their time and data seeing the entire video while they were interested in watching a particular part. That’s where Videogram came into picture,” says Golecha.

     

    “We wanted to add transparency, give people more options and empower them by giving facility of summary based video streaming where a particular part can be promoted and emphasized on,” he further informs.

     

    When asked how companies can benefit through this streaming service, Golecha says, “Apart from social media, Videogram can be a bright tool for brands also. Take the case of BMW, wherein the TVC covers every aspect like engine, elegance, interior, exterior finishing and all. However, if one has to see only the engine, he can directly go there and doesn’t need to go through the entire video. So Videogram gives these added options, which if used properly can make a big difference. The entire concept behind Videogram is to provide multiple avenues in one video and disrupt the linear methodology.”

     

    Having recently worked with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals, the company is buoyant with the response it has got from brands and consumers alike. Indian media and entertainment houses like Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions, Born Free Entertainment, Tips Industries, Pocket Films and Star Plus amongst others have also taken to using Videogram.

     

    Globally, the company has worked with Fox Pictures, Sony Pictures, Capitol Records, Disney, HBO, Jennifer Lopez, L’Oreal, Warner, CBS, ABC, ESPN Turner Broadcasting and others.

     

    “So far, we have managed to rope in a lot of brands and all of them have been satisfied with the innovation we provided. The responses from both brands and consumers were immensely positive,” asserts Golecha on the responses garnered so far.

     

     

    Speaking about Videogram’s primary target and the company’s prospect in the Indian market, Golecha says, “Our major target and focus is on the entertainment, sports and fashion industries. India is a vast market and I see good scope here. However, one of the problems we have faced in India is that people are reluctant to experiment, or try something new. The conservative nature is the biggest obstacle for us, which we are trying our level best to overcome.”

     

    “Going forward we want to emerge as brand’s best friend when it comes to video distribution, and that can happen because the facilities and options that Videogram can offer no one else can,” he concludes. 

  • IPL 8 garners 182 million unique viewers: TAM

    IPL 8 garners 182 million unique viewers: TAM

    MUMBAI: After 45 matches, an analysis by Television Audience Measurement (TAM) signifies that 182 million unique viewers sampled the eight edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

     

    The time spent by viewers per match as per data is 45 minutes 4 seconds, which is nine per cent more than the last season of the league.

     

    Average TVTs showed a growth of 23 per cent when compared to the 2014 edition. Till the fifth week, IPL 8 garnered 3.6 TVR, which signifies a growth of 22 per cent. Overall 68 per cent of All India Universe tuned in to witness IPL 8.

     

    The opening bout between Kolkata Knight Rider (KKR) and Mumbai Indians (MI), which garnered 5.4 per cent TVRs, remains as the top viewed match so far in this season of 2015. On the other hand, the game between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals registered the least viewership amongst all the matches played so far.

     

    With the playoffs knocking at the door, it remains to be seen whether this IPL manages to create new viewership records.

     

    Click here for overall ratings 

  • Rajasthan Royals pledges 2% annual profit towards girl child welfare

    Rajasthan Royals pledges 2% annual profit towards girl child welfare

    MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals embarked on an innings of a different kind. The franchise will support the development and welfare of the girl child and has pledged two per cent of the annual profits of the company for the current financial year towards the cause.

     

    The franchise has tied-up with two NGOs – Educate Girls and Aangan, who will be the beneficiaries of this funding. The British Asian Trust (BAT), part of HRH Prince of Wales Charities, will work as the implementation partner with the Rajasthan Royals.

     

    Taking inspiration from the Indian Government’s ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ initiative, the franchise wishes to heighten awareness around the issues facing the girl child, engage with its fans and other cricket lovers, utilize its digital assets to reach out to audiences and seek to make a difference by contributing brand support and monetary resources towards this cause.

     

    The CSR initiative will support the two NGOs on issues that affect the future of the girl child – education of girl children, knowledge of gender discrimination the overall survival, protection and empowerment of the girl child.

     

    Rajasthan Royals proposes to engage with the following two NGOs:

     

    · Educate Girls (www.educategirls.in): Funding the enrollment, retention and improved learning outcomes of girlsin public schools across Rajasthan.

     

    · Aaangan (www.aanganindia.org): Funding the girl safety program (SHAKTI) to keep girls safe, supported and connected to a peer network that empowers them.

     

    To create awareness of the campaign “Bat for the Girl Child,” Rajasthan Royals will conduct two activities during its home match against the Kolkata Knight Riders on 16 May, 2015 at Cricket Club of India, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. Spectators and players will release 1000 balloons with the “Bat for the Girl Child” logo to showcase their support for the cause.

     

    Jaipur IPL Cricket Pvt. Ltd chairman Ranjit Barthakur said, “The Rajasthan Royals campaign “Bat for the Girl Child” is aimed at cricket lovers but also those of us who can make a difference. We believe that by working with Aangan and Educate Girls, under the aegis of the Government, we can achieve so much more to change the lives of girl children in Rajasthan and India. With the brand and might of the Rajasthan Royals behind it, the team is hoping to gain momentum and generate more support from across its fanbase.”

     

    Rajasthan Royals co-owner and British Asian Trust chairman Manoj Badale added, “Inspired by the successful ‘BetiBachaoBetiPadhao’ campaign, we are attempting to utilize the Rajasthan Royals brand platform to build awareness on issues relating to the Girl Child. These issues need as much support as possible, and we at the Rajasthan Royals are fully committed towards contributing our efforts towards these challenges. The British Asian Trust is a charity focused on providing support to development work in South Asia with a particular focus on India and we will monitor and supervise these interventions for the Rajasthan Royals.”

     

    Rajasthan Royals mentor Rahul Dravid added, “Using the power of sport to make society aware of the challenges that we face collectively and therefore, as a means to change lives, is consistent with the philosophy of the Rajasthan Royals. It gives all of us at Rajasthan Royals a sense of pride and joy to be a part of this initiative that tackles issues relating to the Girl Child and to know that we are also contributing our part to make a positive change in our society.” 

  • IPL frenzy spills on Twitter with 180.4 million live impressions

    IPL frenzy spills on Twitter with 180.4 million live impressions

    MUMBAI: When it comes to pure cricketing entertainment, the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) never disappoints. The first three weeks of this tournament have been breathless, both on field and off field i.e on social media. Fans of the tournament have not only been present at the stadiums but also on micro blogging site, Twitter. During the live match windows, 180.4 million live impressions were registered on Twitter for the matches held between 8 to 29 April 2015.

     

    The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) versus Mumbai Indians match held on 8 April was the top game garnering the highest live tweet impressions so far. This was followed by Mumbai Indians vs. Chennai Super Kings (17 April), Chennai Super Kings vs. Delhi Daredevils (9 April), Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Mumbai Indians (19 April) and the Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore (11 April).

     

    The following is the Twitter leader board for the most mentioned teams on Twitter in week  three of the mega sporting tournament:

    Chennai Super Kings (@Chennaiipl)

    Kolkata Knight Riders (@KKRiders)

    Royal Challenger Bangalore (@RCBTweets)

    Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan)

    Delhi Daredevils (@DelhiDaredevils)

    Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals)

    Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip)

    Sunrisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers)

     

    The most-tweeted about moments during the first three weeks of the tournament also feature several of the most-mentioned teams. The winning moment came during the one run win of @Chennaiipl over the @DelhiDaredevils, which was the most talked about moment during the IPL so far.

     

    The micro blogging site also gave out the weekly #PurpleCap and #OrangeCap honours for the most-mentioned bowlers and batsmen, respectively. For this week, the top pair is an overseas couple. Dwayne Bravo received the vote amongst batsmen, while Mitchell Starc was the most mentioned bowler. 

     

    The IPL is helping fans stay in touch through tweets via SMS for free by giving a Missed Call on 011 3008 2008. The IPL has also integrated Twitter into their official Android app with #IPLSelfie where fans can click a selfie along with their favourite team’s logo. Fans by tweeting the pic can get featured on a special page on iplt20.com on the @IPLSelfie. To add to the fun, the @IPL is posting slow motion replays of explosive on-field moments using six-second Vines.

  • IPL Auction: 67 players sold, Yuvraj again tops the list with Rs 16 crore

    IPL Auction: 67 players sold, Yuvraj again tops the list with Rs 16 crore

    MUMBAI: Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has become the most expensive cricketer in the IPL 8 players’ auction, which was held on 16 February in Bengaluru. Delhi Daredevils bought the cricketer for a record Rs 16 crore.

    Dinesh Kartik was second in the list of most costliest player as Royal Challengers Bangalore paid Rs 10.5 crore for the wicket keeper batsman. If the amount paid for the India discards is shocking, the unsold list emerged as one of the idiosyncratic in the history of tournament. Hasim Amla, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene failed to find a bidder. Both Sangakkara and Amla are in top 10 rankings of ODI and Tests.

    Indian World Cup winner speed star Zaheer Khan, who failed to come in the bidders list in the first round was purchased by Delhi Daredevils for Rs 4 crore in the later half.

    Multi Screen Media’s (MSM) sports broadcaster Sony Six aired the Indian Premiere League (IPL) 2015 auctions live. The auction was also streamed live by the tournaments official website iplt20.com.

    The team overview at the end of Pepsi IPL 2015 auction

    The top buys of Pepsi IPL 2015:

    Famous players in the list of unsold in Pepsi IPL 2015 Auction:

    Hashim Amla, Cameron White, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Irfan Pathan, Marlon Samuels, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Alex Hales, Brad Hodge, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ross Taylor

    The Team wise list after Pepsi IPL 2015 auction:

    CHENNAI SUPER KINGS

    DELHI DAREDEVILS

    KINGS XI PUNJAB

    KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS

    MUMBAI INDIANS

    RAJASTHAN ROYALS

    ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE

    SUNRISERS HYDERABAD