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Tag: Ricky Ponting

  • Punjab Kings roar into IPL 2025 with ‘Bas Jeetna Hai’ campaign

    Punjab Kings roar into IPL 2025 with ‘Bas Jeetna Hai’ campaign

    MUMBAI: Punjab Kings have set the stage for IPL 2025 with a battle cry that leaves no room for doubt ‘Bas Jeetna Hai!’ The team’s electrifying new campaign, featuring Captain Shreyas Iyer, Head Coach Ricky Ponting, and a power-packed squad, embodies their relentless pursuit of victory.

    The high-energy video captures Punjab Kings’ stars Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Marco Jansen gearing up for the season with raw intensity. A standout moment sees Arshdeep unleashing a lion’s roar ‘sher di dahaar’ perfectly encapsulating the fearless Punjab spirit, amplified by the commanding vocals of Punjabi singer Parmish Verma.

    The campaign also spotlights Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Prabhsimran Singh, Nehal Wadhera, and promising youngsters Priyansh Arya and Musheer Khan, reinforcing Punjab Kings’ strong Indian core.

    Punjab Kings CEO, Satish Menon said, “With this campaign, we’re not just showcasing our team we’re celebrating a spirit. ‘Bas Jeetna Hai’ is more than a tagline. It’s an emotion every Punjab Kings fan live by. We’re building a fun and fearless identity on the field and off it. The atmosphere in the camp perfectly reflects what we’ve envisioned, and the boys are ready to give it their all. I’m confident fans will connect deeply with this campaign. Here’s wishing the team a memorable and successful season ahead.”

    Punjab Kings kick off their IPL 2025 journey today against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Following an away clash with Lucknow Super Giants, the team will bring the action home to the newly built PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh, hosting Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in back-to-back encounters. With their war cry set and their squad raring to go, Punjab Kings are ready to make this season one to remember.
     

  • Kshema unveils ‘Secure Hands’ contest for IPL 2025 Punjab Kings fans

    Kshema unveils ‘Secure Hands’ contest for IPL 2025 Punjab Kings fans

    MUMBAI: Kshema General Insurance Ltd., the official general insurance partner of Punjab Kings, has launched the ‘Kshema Secure Hands’ digital campaign, offering cricket fans a chance to win match tickets and exclusive merchandise.

    The contest, open to participants aged 18 and above, will run across Kshema’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X. Fans must predict which Punjab Kings player will be crowned the ‘Kshema Secure Hands’ of the match, recognising the best fielding effort be it a catch, run saved, run-out, or stumping. Punjab Kings will shortlist the standout moments, and those who predict correctly will enter a lucky draw, where a jury will select the winner.

    “We are excited to launch the ‘Kshema Secure Hands’ campaign as part of our partnership with Punjab Kings. We have planned this nationwide contest to drive home our message that insurance means security just like good fielding provides a safety net to the team during matches which can be the difference between a victory and defeat. Cricket is the beating heart of India, and we couldn’t have found a better vehicle to connect emotionally with fans and create awareness about insurance and its importance in mitigating adverse financial situations,” said Kshema General Insurance Ltd. chief marketing officer Bhaskar Thakur.

    The initiative not only strengthens Kshema’s association with cricket but also raises awareness about its innovative insurance solutions. The company leverages AI-driven algorithms, machine learning, and big data to assess and price insurance risks efficiently.

    “We always strive to give our fans an experience they will cherish. I am happy that Kshema has launched this campaign and has kept the fans at the centre of our partnership. We look forward to fans from all over the country participating and having a great matchday experience,” said Punjab Kings chief executive officer Satish Menon.

    Punjab Kings, featuring a fresh squad under captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting, will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign against Gujarat Titans on 25 March in an evening match. 

  • Champions Trophy from 1 June: ICC reveals broadcast plans, supported by Sunset+Vine & NEP

    MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a stellar line-up of commentators as well as detailed broadcast production plans, which for the first time in cricket, include Player Tracking for the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in England and Wales from 1 to 18 June. ICC TV will produce live coverage of all 15 matches, supported by production partner Sunset+Vine and equipment partner NEP Broadcast Solutions.

    Former captains — Ricky Ponting of Australia, Brendon McCullum of New Zealand, Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and Graeme Smith of South Africa will be making their ICC TV debut. Other big names who will commentate through the tournament include Sourav Ganguly, Shane Warne, Michael Slater, Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton, Shaun Pollock, Sanjay Manjrekar, Ian Bishop, Ramiz Raja, Simon Doull and Athar Ali Khan.

    Ponting said: “Winning it (the trophy) on two occasions was a big thrill. This year I’m really looking forward to it being staged in England and being a part of the commentary team. “I’m expecting Australia and England to make the final with Pat Cummins and Jason Roy, two guys to stand out across the two weeks. I can’t wait!”

    McCullum said: “At the Champions Trophy, each team will be desperate to do well and put their stamp on the 50-over game. “To now be in the commentary box for such a prestigious tournament is something I am really looking forward to. Working with names like Ponting, Ganguly and Smith is going to be great fun and hopefully we can give the viewers a unique insight on the action unfolding out in the middle.”

    Smith said: “The trophy is a great tournament where every team has a chance to do well. I am sure there will be a few surprises and many memorable performances, so there’s a lot to look forward to!”

    Sangakkara said: “The trophy is a special tournament which I loved playing in and am honoured to have enjoyed success in. Most of the teams have a chance of lifting the trophy so it promises to be a fascinating three weeks of action.”

    The eight-team tournament, which kicks off with host England playing Bangladesh at The Oval on 1 June, will see a state-of-the-art coverage which will include 34 cameras at every game, including eight ultra-motion Hawk-Eye cameras, front and reverse view stump cameras and a Spidercam.

    In what is a first for cricket coverage, six Player Tracking cameras will be used in each match while the final at The Oval on 18 June will have additional pictures provided by a drone camera to supplement the broadcast coverage.

    Among other enhancements for the live coverage will be an Analysis Zone that will add depth to the coverage, bringing out details and nuances for the benefit of the audience. Regular broadcast tools such as the Hawk-Eye will be supplemented by an in-depth cricket data analytics system to be provided by analytics app Cricviz and a player tracking and real-time data visualization system made available by leading graphics company Chyron Hego.

    ICC Head of Media Rights, Broadcast and Digital Aarti Dabas said: “The ICC is committed to providing a world class broadcast that is credible, informative, engaging and attracts a global audience. Our team of 15 champion commentators will help tell the story and build heroes, connecting with the fans using relevant insights and broadcast innovations.”

    Scores and statistics, which are an important element of any cricket coverage, will be provided by sports graphics specialists Alston Elliott in a fresh new style and feel designed by creative design agency DixonBaxi.

    The coverage provided by ICC TV to broadcasters will commence 30 minutes before the start of play of each match and will include the live toss, the pitch report, player profiles and features looking ahead to the game.

    Programming will be produced for the innings break to ensure continuous and engrossing content that will keep the viewers hooked. Reviews of the first half of games and a preview of run chases will be inter-woven with a segment dedicated to the history and stars of the ICC Champions Trophy. Match telecasts will culminate with a crisp post-match show.

    ICC TV has also made arrangements to produce engaging and informative additional content, to be distributed to its broadcast partners and other media rights partners via the ICC TV Content Delivery Service. This content will include daily player profiles, team features, match previews and other behind the scenes content, getting fans up close and personal with all the action around the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.

  • Star India snaps up broadcast rights to Sachin-Warne’s Cricket All-Stars

    Star India snaps up broadcast rights to Sachin-Warne’s Cricket All-Stars

    MUMBAI: Star India has snapped up the broadcast rights of the much awaited venture of Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne namely The Cricket All-Stars T20 tournament, featuring cricket legends from across the globe.

     

    Confirming the development to Indiantelevision.com a source close to the development said, “The rights are with Star and we all are looking forward to the tournament.”

     

    While Master Card has been roped in as the title sponsor of the tournament, negotiations are on with a few more brand. The source adds, “We are in the last phase of proceedings and will soon reveal many more developments.”

     

    The Cricket All-Stars T20 tournament is set to unfold on 7 November, 2015 in New York. The tourney will then move to Houston on 11 November and to Los Angeles on 14 November.

     

    Virender Sehwag, who recently retired, has also joined the roster, which has former Indian greats like Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Ajit Agarkar. While Warne confirmed his participation in the tournament a few days back, the master blaster Tendulkar was also spotted sweating it out in the nets yet again. Some of the others former cricketers who are a part of the league are Kumar Sangakkara, Jonthy Rhodes, Wasim Akram, Glen Mcgrath and Ricky Ponting.

     

    His recent tweets read : 

     

    Had fun at the nets today. #ComingToAmerica, see you in New York in 10 days.. #CricketAllStars2015 @T20AllStars

     

     

    Welcoming Sehwag and beginning the countdown, Telndulkar tweeted: Welcome my friend and a batsman with distinct style …………………. #10daystogo

     

     

    Senior cricket expert Hemant Kenkre said, “It’s a delightful opportunity for the average American cricket fans to see the legends playing in front of them. The initiative is nice. I remember something similar was done in Brabourne Stadium long back. From cricket’s perspective, it remains to be seen how fit the players are, it’s been long since many of them retired and no one knows how much cricket they have been playing. But overall Wasim Akram bowling to Lara or Sachin facing Warne again would be a worthy sight for cricket lovers.”

     

    A sports media planning veteran added, “Sachin, Sourav, Sehwag, Warne in one pitch again can take viewership to a different level, recently we saw in Wankhede how the entire stadium was chanting Sachinnnnn! Sachinnnnnn! Having said that, the matches are to be played in America so the timing will be an issue for the Indian audience. Moreover, how competitive the matches are, will be another factor to look at. Overall the first three matches will be an experiment and the quality of those will determine the future.”

     

  • Ricky Ponting joins Sky Sports for Investec Ashes

    Ricky Ponting joins Sky Sports for Investec Ashes

    MUMBAI: Cricket legend Ricky Ponting will join Sky Sports for its coverage of this summer’s Investec Ashes, which will include a dedicated channel for the entire series. 

     

    As the most successful Test captain in history, Ponting will bring his insight to a BAFTA award-winning Ashes team, which includes analysis from Sir Ian Botham, David Gower, Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, David Lloyd, Ian Ward and Michael Holding. He will also be beside former teammate Shane Warne in the commentary box. 

     

    Sky Sports 2 will become Sky Sports Ashes for two months of non-stop cricket television from 1 July, giving viewers a week of build up before the first Test. Fans can tune into the channel wherever they are via Sky Go, and online TV streaming service, Now TV, to watch without a contract.

     

    The channel will show every ball live from the men’s and women’s series. In another important moment for the growth of female cricket, this includes showing an England Women’s Test match for the first time. Sky Sports Ashes will also show daily highlights and classic clashes between England and Australia from the archives, running throughout the summer until 1 September.

     

    Ponting said, “I can’t wait to team up with Sky Sports for The Ashes in England this summer. It’s still the greatest event in cricket and I hope to give all the Sky viewers the latest insights as well as having some fun with Nasser, Bumble and the team.”

     

    Sky Sports executive producer cricket Bryan Henderson added, “We’re excited to welcome Ricky to the line-up. Having captained Australia during some legendary Ashes series, he’ll provide some fascinating views and help strengthen our coverage even further. Giving The Ashes its own channel means our viewers know there’s only one place to enjoy all the build-up, live action and analysis as the great summer of sporting drama unfolds. The famous contest always promises to offer fans some special moments and a great battle. I’m sure this series will be no different.”

     

    The Ashes forms part of Sky Sports’ biggest ever year of live cricket, including the ODI series against New Zealand and every ball of the Women’s Ashes. Alongside the international matches, Sky Sports will also show every county, with live coverage of all three domestic competitions – the NatWest T20 Blast, the Royal London One-Day Cup and the LV= County Championship.  

     

    This summer’s Ashes contest is the tenth shown exclusively live by Sky Sports. Ball by ball coverage begins with the first Test at the SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff on 8 July.

     

    Fans will be able to watch the action live wherever they are on mobile, laptop and selected tablets via Sky Go. As well as daily live coverage, Charles Colvile and Bob Willis will be joined by a variety of guests in the studio on The Verdict show, giving their reaction to every day’s play. 

     

    The Ashes Event Centre on the Sky Sports for iPad app is back, offering live coverage and for the first time cricket fans can choose from up to 17 camera angles to watch the action. A dedicated microsite at www.skysports.com/ashes will offer all the news and analysis from our team of experts, as well as insight into the England squad.    

  • Star India to promote Tendulkar-Warne promoted T-20 series?

    Star India to promote Tendulkar-Warne promoted T-20 series?

    MUMBAI: The game of cricket is all set to get bigger and better. Cricketing demigods Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne have reportedly teamed up with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp to establish a new Twenty20 cricket league for former international players renowned for their contribution to the sport.

     

    As per media reports, the Tendulkar – Warne joint innovation called Cricket All Stars League is set to roll as early as September 2015 in the US and in all likelihood  will air on Star India’s sports venture Star Sports. India’s leading broadcast network also holds the broadcasting rights of Indian cricket and other ICC tournaments. 

     

    Cricket All Stars League will have veterans from across the globe and the tournament will be organised by keeping cricket regulatory boards like International Cricket Council (ICC), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia (CA) and Wales Cricket Board (WCB) in the loop.

     

    The league envisages 15 matches being played over a period of four years. Tendulkar and Warne have reportedly made an offer of between $25,000 per match to retired players like Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff and Jacques Kallis.

     

    Unlike the Indian Premier League (IPL), where there are eight teams participating, Cricket All Stars League will have 28 players equally divided into two teams.

     

    A senior media planning and buying executive, who closely deals with sports tells Indiantelevision.com, “If Sachin and Warne come together and start a league involving legends like Ponting, Flintoff, Dravid, it is obvious that it will get viewership. Now if it is happening in New York as reports are suggesting then the timings can emerge as an issue. Overall, it is very early to predict a future but if Sachin himself plays and gets his close buddies like Sourav, Dravid, Laxman and Kumble in, Indian cricket lovers’ admiration for him will grow further as no one ever expected to see the legends playing again. If Indian legends get involved in it and Star airs it, I see a flurry of advertisers, who will be ready to pay anything.”

     

    A cricket expert was of the opinion that the innovation can popularize cricket in the United States and unless it forces a player to leave national commitments in order to participate in the league, it is a good move. 

     

    “The coming together of legends is always big. Two names Sachin and Warne successfully grabbed attention of so many people. Now add Ponting, Flintoff, Kumble, Lee and see the prodigy and magnitude. Shane Warne’s post earlier this year hinted that a joint venture from them was coming but the success will be determined by the participation. If a noble cause is associated with it, I see legends participating but I doubt that a two-time world champion captain Ricky Ponting will be a part of something only for money. So we should wait before drawing conclusions. Retired players’ participation for financial purposes can put a question mark on their legacy and hence it remains to be seen how many agree to participate. However, if Sachin himself decides to play, I don’t see any of these arguments coming in.”

     

    As reported by Cricket.com.au, Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council denied any knowledge of the proposal for the Cricket All Stars League. However, a CA spokesman suggested it could be a positive way to promote and grow the game in new or emerging markets – as long as it didn’t poach contracted international players.

     

    Brett Lee’s manager Neil Maxwell confirmed that Tendulkar and Warne had approached his client and that Lee would be seeking clearance from Cricket Australia to play in the league. “I can’t see anything wrong with it, it’s a group of retired blokes playing a game of cricket,” Maxwell told Fox Sports.

     

    With sports broadcasting on the rise in India, a property such as this, if done right, has the potential to garner enormous attention and emerge as a prime broadcasting asset for broadcasters, advertisers and cricket fanatics alike.

  • CNN-IBN & IBN7 score big with World Cup contests

    CNN-IBN & IBN7 score big with World Cup contests

    MUMBAI: Throughout the duration of the Cricket World Cup, CNN-IBN & IBN7 brought a delectable fare of coverage on the tournament. The channels launched a series of contests that allowed both advertisers and viewers to take centre stage. Specifically, advertisers are being offered an exclusive opportunity to dine and interact with such legends of the game as – Kris Srikanth, Ricky Ponting, Zaheer Abbas, Chris Harris and Kiran More.

     

    Additionally, CNN-IBN & IBN7 have also launched Cup Quiz With Cheeka and #Cricfie. Cup Quiz With Cheeka is a cricket quiz on-air and on social media wherein participants need to answer questions related to past cricket world cups, asked by the former India captain and chairman of selectors Srikanth. 

     

    #Cricfie is a contest running on IBN7 wherein the channel is calling for selfies with quirky captions wishing and cheering for Team India to be shared on Facebook page or the Twitter handle of IBN7. The top Cricfies will be printed, framed and sent back to participants duly autographed by the channel’s panel of experts.

     

    While the extensive programming providing viewers with a 360 degree view of this mega cricketing event will continue till the end, CNN-IBN & IBN7’s special viewer and trade engagement activities will add another dimension to its coverage.

  • Rohit Sharma wins ODI batsman of the year

    Rohit Sharma wins ODI batsman of the year

    MUMBAI: Brendon McCullum, Mitchell Johnson, Rohit Sharma, Lasith Malinga, Alex Hales and Rangana Herath are amongst the winners of the eighth edition of annual ESPNcricinfo Awards for the best batting and bowling performances in Tests, ODIs and T20s in 2014.

     

    The winners were picked by a jury consisting of Rahul Dravid, Ian Chappell, Ricky Ponting, Ajit Agarkar, Russel Arnold, Martin Crowe, Michael Bevan, Mark Butcher, Aakash Chopra, Daryll Cullinan, Michael Holding, Mark Nicholas, Ramiz Raja and Graeme Smith. Also part of the jury were ESPNcricinfo’s senior writers, Sambit Bal, Sharda Ugra, Sidharth Monga, Brydon Coverdale, Mohammad Isam, David Hopps, Osman Samiuddin, Jarrod Kimber, Firdose Moonda, Daniel Brettig, Andrew Fernando and George Dobell.

     

    Winners for each category were picked from shortlists of between nine and 14 performances selected by ESPNcricinfo staff.

     

    Brendon McCullum’s 302 against India was the first triple-hundred by a New Zealander in Tests, and came at the start of a year in which he scored 1164 Test runs.

     

    Mitchell Johnson’s seven for 68 against South Africa in Centurion saw him in arguably more fearsome form than he was during his Ashes-winning performances earlier in the season back home in Australia. It was Johnson’s second consecutive ESPNcricinfo Award in the category.

     

    Rohit Sharma’s 264 against Sri Lanka was his second double-hundred in ODIs (the first won in this category at last year’s ESPNcricinfo Awards), and the third by an Indian, following Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.

     

    Lasith Malinga, who won in the best ODI bowling category for his 5 for 56 in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, is also a former ESPNcricinfo Award winner.

     

    Both winning performances in the shortest format came from the World T20: Rangana Herath’s 5 for 3 demolished New Zealand in a tournament Sri Lanka went on to win. Alex Hales won the batting award for his 116 not out against Sri Lanka, which came off 97 balls and took England to a six-wicket win.

     

    ESPNcricinfo editor-in-chief Sambit Bal said, “2014 has been an exciting year of cricket and we saw the emergence of some real champions. We want to reward champions who made a difference to cricket through their performances over the last 12 months. Selecting these winners was a daunting task, to say the least, for all the jury members, considering the immense talent that was on display. We wish the winners all the success in the world, and hope they take the gentleman’s game to greater heights.”

  • ESPNcricinfo gets ready for ICC World Cup 2015

    ESPNcricinfo gets ready for ICC World Cup 2015

    MUMBAI: Digital cricket brand ESPNcricinfo has announced that that Ricky Ponting is joining the portal both as a columnist and video commentator. Ponting will offer his insights and comments on the key cricket action of 2015 including the ICC Cricket World Cup and the Ashes.

     

    ESPNcricinfo editor in chief Sambit Bal speaking on the different initiatives  said, “With three marquee events – India vs Australia, the World Cup and Ashes – coming back-to-back over the next 12 months, Ricky Ponting is a massive signing for us. Apart from being a legend of our game, and a World Cup and Ashes hero, he is also a keen and articulate student of the game. His insights and intimate knowledge of the contemporary game will be an invaluable addition to our coverage.”

     

    The signing of Australia’s most successful Test captain and triple ICC Cricket World Cup winner forms part of ESPNcricinfo’s wider ICC Cricket World Cup coverage and content plans. It recently launched its 100 day countdown to the start of the tournament with a completely responsive microsite dedicated to World Cup 2015 which will include an ICC Cricket World Cup trivia section, an editorial and blog features covering the teams, players, and venues alongside video and photographic content along with a comprehensive World Cup travel site highlighting key information for anyone wanting to attend any of the match venues during the ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

     

    Ponting commented, “I’m really excited to be joining the team at ESPNcricinfo.  I’ve been an avid consumer of the site for many years and now can’t wait to share my insights as a contributor especially as the next 12 months will have so many highlights and gripping contests.”

     

    ESPNcricinfo will also give global cricket fans the World Cup timeline section which deep dives into each of the previous World Cups, including galleries, quizzes, overview and videos from each of the World Cups. World Cup Vignettes, a new video series, will allow fans to relive 50 landmark moments from the ten previous World Cup tournaments. From exceptional individual performances to the raw emotion of the crowd, each vignette will feature interviews from players, umpires and journalists and be accompanied by a written article.

     

    Additionally, Mark Nicholas will present Men of the Finals, a series analysing the individuals who have produced exceptional performances to help their country win cricket’s most coveted international trophy. Hearing from the players themselves and those who witnessed their exploits first-hand the backstory and performance will be critiqued during each episode of the series. Users in the United States, Canada and the West Indies will be able to watch actual match clips for both World Cup Vignettes and Men of the Finals.

     

  • Zee Sports to launch cricket talk show

    MUMBAI: Zee Sports will launch a show Cricket Talk on 3 January. It will air every Wednesday at 9:30 pm.

    Hosted by Zee Jockey Vineet Malhotra, the weekly half an hour show will focus on getting cricketers closer to the Indian sports fan. Each episode will focus on an individual cricketer, his relationships with people and the forces that influenced his career.

    Reebok is the title sponsor for the show. Some of the cricketers who will be featured in Cricket Talk are Australian captain Ricky Ponting, South African fast bowler Shaun Pollock and Sri Lankan batsmen Kumar Sangakkara. Cricket Talk aims to reflect the overall personality of a cricketer.