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Tag: Shikhar Dhawan

  • Sony Pictures Networks bags India-Bangladesh tour rights 

    Sony Pictures Networks bags India-Bangladesh tour rights 

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) has secured exclusive television rights to broadcast the India-Bangladesh tour. Sports fans can watch the inning live on Sony Sports Ten 5, Sony Sports Ten 3, and Sony Sports Ten 4, which are exclusive to the Indian territory.

    The Indian cricket team will visit Bangladesh beginning 4 December led by Rohit Sharma and vice captain KL Rahul. Star players such as Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, and Mohammed Shami will also be part of team India’s lineup.

    Fans will be hoping for an all-round performance from Ravindra Jadeja as he prepares to return to the field after a knee injury. This series will be India’s final before facing Sri Lanka in January 2023, consisting of three one-day internationals and two tests.

    The series will add to Sony Sports Network’s nonstop cricket coverage, and the broadcaster will be hoping for India to continue its international success.

    Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer & distribution and head of sports business Rajesh Kaul said, “It gives us immense pleasure to present fans with Team India’s final series before ending a successful year of cricket. India’s overseas record under the leadership of Rohit Sharma has been remarkable, and we hope to witness the same success in Bangladesh. We hope to continue providing fans with nonstop cricket action with this series.”

    Bangladesh Cricket Board chief executive officer Nizam Uddin Chowdhury added, “We are happy to note that Sony Sports Network has acquired the broadcast rights for India’s tour of Bangladesh in 2022. Sony Sports Network is among the industry leaders, and I am sure the broadcast quality and standards will be befitting of a much-anticipated series like this one.”

  • Collective Artists Network signs cricketer Rishabh Pant

    Collective Artists Network signs cricketer Rishabh Pant

    Mumbai: Cricketer Rishabh Pant has signed with the agency Collective Artists Network for exclusive representation.

    The young star from Uttarakhand made his T20 international debut in 2017 and was named the ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year at the 2018 ICC Awards.

    In February 2021, Pant was named the Men’s Player of the Month in the first edition of the ICC Player of the Month Awards. He was also the fourth youngest Indian to captain an IPL team and stood in for an injured Shikhar Dhawan for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

    Collective Artists Network group CEO & founder Vijay Subramaniam said, “I’m truly excited to welcome Rishabh into the Collective Artists Network fold. His pure on-field brilliance and naturally amiable persona make him a truly unique proposition for his fans and partners. We look forward to taking the brand Rishabh forward with the infrastructure at Collective.”

    Commenting on this development, Pant said, “I’m thrilled to be working with Collective Artists Network. It feels incredible to be exclusively represented by India’s largest players in the talent ecosystem, and I’m sure this will be a very successful partnership.”

    Collective Artists Network head of sports Ritesh Nath said, “We’re so proud to announce our marquee signing in sports, Rishabh Pant. He is the poster child of a young and fearless India, which is a marketer’s delight. We are truly looking forward to what we can build together.”

    Collective Artists Network added that it delivers the best opportunities in popular culture to its clients across creative artists, brands, the investment community, and the entertainment ecosystem.

  • Dream11’s new campaign for T20 World Cup urges fans to #DreamBig

    Dream11’s new campaign for T20 World Cup urges fans to #DreamBig

    Mumbai: Fantasy sports platform Dream11 has unveiled its new brand campaign #DreamBig for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Conceptualised and executed by Tilt Brand Solutions and Rehab Films, the campaign films bring to life inspiring, real-life stories of Indian cricketers and Dream11 brand ambassadors Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Shikhar Dhawan.

    The brand has launched the campaign with the return of the T20 showpiece where passions run high and some players realise life-long dreams, not just theirs but also of their family, coaches, and teammates.  

    “Sport has always thrown up stories that drive fans to be inspired and achieve their own potential. We would like to encourage fans to strengthen their self-belief and go after their dreams, not just in sport but in any vocation they pursue,” said Dream11 chief marketing officer Vikrant Mudaliar.

    “#DreamBig celebrates this sentiment through the stories of the extraordinary people who had the tenacity and were relentless in the pursuit of fulfilling their dreams. This also resonates with us at Dream11, where dreaming big was a huge part of our journey — going from being a start-up to becoming the world’s largest fantasy sports platform with over 110 million users,” he added.

    The first film featuring Rohit Sharma leans on the origins of the cricketer’s ‘45’ numbered jersey, which, as we learn, is a lucky charm bestowed upon him by his mother.

    The second film with Rishabh Pant showcases the classic sports hero worship story of idolising a star and eventually rubbing shoulders with him on the same pedestal, the hero, in this case, being MS Dhoni, who was Pant’s idol and inspiration, well before anyone knew about the budding player or his talent.

    Hardik Pandya’s film portrays a story of humble beginnings. Pandya knew his chances were bleak but his sheer drive enabled him to Dream Big and achieve stardom from a near-impossible position.

    The fourth film on Jasprit Bumrah’s journey showcases the results of channeling raw talent and watching the results unfold. Long before breaking records for India, the young lad was infamous for breaking many objects in his house and locality.

    The fifth film featuring Shikhar Dhawan throws light on how elite sports is not about equals or competing at a level playing field.

    The campaign films are now live across multiple platforms including TV and digital.

    As the official fantasy sports partner of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, Dream11 will provide opportunities to millions of Indians to put their cricket knowledge and skills to test, and engage closely with the matches, said the brand.

    The T20 tournament features the world’s top-16 teams including India, England, Australia, West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Bangladesh among others.

  • India-Sri Lanka ODI and T20I series set to begin on 18 July

    India-Sri Lanka ODI and T20I series set to begin on 18 July

    Mumbai: The start date for India’s tour of Sri Lanka has been changed ahead of the limited overs series that features three ODIs and three T20s. The first ODI will now take place on 18 July and the tour will conclude with the third T20 on 29 July.

    The series, which was originally scheduled to begin from 13 July, had been postponed after Sri Lanka’s batting coach and data analyst tested positive for COVID-19.

    Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has informed its official broadcast partner SPN that in consultation with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), it has decided to reschedule the dates of the ODI and T20I series as a precautionary measure aimed at providing more time for the Sri Lanka National Players and the Support Staff to complete required health protocols.

    Led by former India captain Rahul Dravid who will step in as coach, Shikhar Dhawan will captain the young side while Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be the vice-captain in the three-match ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka.

    Revised schedule of India tour of Sri Lanka is as below:

    1st ODI: 18 July
    2nd ODI: 20 July
    3rd ODI: 23 July
    1st T20I: 25 July
    2nd T20I: 27 July
    3rd T20I: 29 July

    Viewers can catch live coverage of the series on 18 July, 2pm onwards on SONY SIX & SONY TEN 1 channels in English, SONY TEN 3 channels in Hindi and SONY TEN 4 channels in Tamil & Telugu on SonyLIV channel as well as on its on-demand OTT platform.

  • IPL 2021: boAt becomes audio partner for six teams

    IPL 2021: boAt becomes audio partner for six teams

    NEW DELHI: Indian-based consumer electronics brand boAt has teamed up with six franchises in this year's edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The d2c brand is the audio partner for Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. 

    boAt revealed that it will launch a limited edition of TWS Airdopes inspired by the insignia and colours of the teams, to cater to the fans of the respective teams. The brand logo will be displayed on the helmets and team caps of Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

    Ahead of IPL 14, the brand has kicked off the #SoundOfChampions digital campaign aimed at celebrating the league’s winning moments. It has also roped in Hardik Pandya, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, and KL Rahul as brand ambassadors. 

    "Cricket has always been a religion in our country and the league will boost overall consumer confidence. We want to welcome the IPL teams back to India by launching TWS earbuds with the teams’ insignia," said boAt co-founder Aman Gupta. 

    The #SoundOfChampions campaign aims to strengthen boAt's bonding with cricket. With this promotional strategy, the company is trying to elevate the emotion and passion that cricket and sounds evoke in the minds of Indians. 

  • Emami ropes in Shikhar Dhawan as face of home hygiene range

    Emami ropes in Shikhar Dhawan as face of home hygiene range

    KOLKATA: Emami is ready to hit the Indian market with its newest offering – Emasol – a complete range of home hygiene products. With this launch, the company, which has enjoyed a strong presence in the personal care and healthcare space, is making a big bang entry into the homecare segment for the very first time.

    Under Emasol range of products, Emami will manufacture and market five offerings: Emasol Disinfectant Floor Cleaner; Emasol Disinfectant Toilet Cleaner; Emasol Disinfectant Bathroom Cleaner; Emasol Antibacterial Dish Wash Gel; Emasol All Purpose Sanitiser.

    Emami has roped in international cricket all-rounder Shikhar Dhawan as the global brand ambassador for its Emasol range.

    Emami director Mohan Goenka said, “The Covid2019 pandemic has accelerated home hygiene consciousness to newer heights. People are more concerned about maintaining household hygiene with higher frequency of cleaning across all economic strata. Home hygiene, as a category of approx. Rs 3000 crore had been growing in double digits in the pre-Covid times and is expected to grow much faster in the coming days. Emami is thrilled to capture the topical relevance of the time and foray into the home hygiene space by introducing Emalso range of home hygiene products. We expect a very encouraging market response from this launch as consumers are on lookout for hygiene products that are effective and enjoy high level of brand trust.”

    As per a recent Kantar Worldpanel report, Covid2019 has resulted in change of consumer behaviour in the context of home hygiene, leading to increase in use of toilet cleaners by 47 per cent, mopping of floors by 41 per cent, and disinfectant use by 28 per cent. As per Nielsen category trends, a significant growth in penetration and consumption has been witnessed for home hygiene products with e-commerce channels recording a growth of around 80 per cent for floor and toilet cleaners in the post-pandemic environment.

    London-based design firm Evolve Creative developed the packaging for the Emasol home hygiene range, which comprise competitively priced quality products. The product line is being launched across general trade, modern trade and e-commerce channels with a major focus on urban metro markets, which is expected to contribute majorly to its overall sale.

    Emasol is the first home hygiene range to hit the Indian market that apart from killing 99.9 per cent germs, also has BGV24 advanced antimicrobials action that offers up to 24 hours protection from virus, germs and bacteria.

  • boAt is ‘Official Audio Partner’ for six IPL Teams

    boAt is ‘Official Audio Partner’ for six IPL Teams

    NEW DELHI: boAt – a consumer tech brand that is an amalgamation of action sports, music, and fashion becomes the official audio sponsor for six IPL teams -Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. 

    boAt has been partnering with IPL teams since 2018, and this year the brand has leaped by becoming the audio sponsor for six teams. boAt has launched limited-edition earphones, headphones, and speakers inspired by the insignia and colors of the teams, to cater to the fans of the respective teams. The starting price of these licensed products is Rs 499 and will be available online on sites like Amazon.in, Flipkart, and more. 

    The brand’s very own boAtheads (brand ambassadors) Hardik Pandya, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, and KL Rahul will also be playing with the respective teams. With the brand motto of bringing stadium experience to the home, the association this time is bigger than ever 

    boAt lifestyle co-founder Aman Gupta said, “The announcement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has brought back the excitement amongst viewers and advertisers who were starved of original sports content. Due to the pandemic, work from home (WFH), workout from home, learning from home, cinema at home has become the new normal and with IPL the consumers will also witness another first – Stadium at home. Cricket is no less than a religion in India, will be viewed with no less than a stadium like an ambiance. IPL season will give the right push to not only speakers, sound-bars, and earphones but the overall audio industry. We are optimistic with our limited edition of headphones and speakers, the experience for our consumers will be bass-heavy”.  

    IMG Reliance has been working closely with boAt on all their sports partnerships. On boAt and associations, IMG Reliance head of sales Nikhil Bardia commented, “Excited to have boAt as our official audio partners, they truly know how to increase the decibel of excitement for the millennial of the country.” 

    Work from home (WFH), workout from home, cinema at home, and study from home has acted as catalyst and boAt has witnessed a 20 per cent surge in demand for its products in Covid2019 times. The brand has also crossed Rs 500 crore (FY 2019-20) in gross revenues in just over 4 years. The ‘Made for India’ brand has ramped up quickly and is now ranked as the No.1 brand in the earwear (headphones & earphones) segment, with around 20 per cent market share as per the data released by leading IT market research and advisory firm International Data Corporation (IDC). 

  • Shikhar Dhawan signs deal with IMG Reliance

    Shikhar Dhawan signs deal with IMG Reliance

    NEW DELHI: IMG Reliance today announced that Indian cricket star Shikhar Dhawan has signed an exclusive worldwide marketing and management agreement with the company – specialised in talent management, sports sponsorship & marketing.

    Since the launch of the Talent Management division in 2016, IMG Reliance has enjoyed great momentum, adding some of the cricket’s most exciting starts to its roster including Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Shreyas Iyer and now the prolific batsman Shikhar Dhawan.

    “I think what IMG Reliance brings to the table is quite dynamic and unique in India. I am very excited to partner with the company which has expertise across so many different platforms,” said Dhawan. “While I continue to focus on my cricket and bringing laurels to the nation, off-the-field, I know I have my new team at IMG Reliance to help me maximize my talent.”

    Dhawan is one of the most charismatic and talented players of this generation. One of the finest openers in the history of Indian cricket, Dhawan has led the team to numerous wins single-handedly. Dhawan has been one of the most prolific scorers for India in the limited overs format accumulating close to 6000 runs at an enviable average of over 45.

    “Shikhar possesses enormous talent and character, a unique combination that along with cricket will help us build a brand. It is our absolute delight to be representing a talent like Shikhar who ranks amongst the best cricketers India has produced. We have put together a great team around Shikhar, whose expertise across various verticals will help him achieve the goals,” said IMG Reliance head-talent & sponsorship Nikhil Bardia.

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  • PKL 5 advertisers grow three-fold, sponsorships rise 320%

    MUMBAI: Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) sponsorship revenue, in the fifth year, rose 320 per cent in 2017 and there was three times increase in the number of advertisers, Star India EVP and head – ad sales Anil Jayaraj said at the Mumbai event announcing the PKL 5. Star India owns the on-ground sponsorship and broadcast rights for Vivo PKL.

    Mashal Sports, the pioneers of Vivo Pro Kabaddi, and Star Sports, India’s leading sports broadcaster, began the countdown to the much-anticipated Season 5 of the league, with the unveiling of the new format and fixtures for the season. The league’s four new teams have been supported by JSW Sports and Adani Wilmar.

    The increase in sponsorship revenue and advertisers, Jayaraj said, was owing to spurt in viewership. “Season 4 of PKL witnessed higher ratings than IPL in three states — Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, that is 41 per cent as compared to IPL’s 21 per cent (as per Star’s internal analysis),” Star India EVP and head – marketing Shubhranshu Singh said.

    Jayaraj added:  “Around 50 per cent of our existing advertisers have advertised at least in one of the previous seasons, and 90 per cent realised that competition gained and as a result decided to advertise.” Looking at the sponsors from PKL 1, Fevicol was the first brand to be associated with PKL. In the second season PKL got some traction, and nine brands came on board.

    PKL has also roped in film and sports personalities such as Virender Sehwag, Shikhar Dhawan, Saina Nehwal, and Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan to spike PKL’s visibility.

    With only four years of play, PKL is the second most popular sports after IPL in India. Overall, around Rs 47 crore (Rs 470 million) was invested on over 260 players for the fifth season. “The sponsors investing in sports these days get 15x RoI (returns on investment),” Jayaraj said.

    There was a 12 per cent increase in consideration for sponsorships from 59 per cent after PKL 4, Jayaraj informed. Brand such as Flipkart, Bajaj, TVS, Amazon India, Castrol Active, Gionee, Coca Cola and SBI, among other are associated with PKL 5. “And, I’m expecting a total of around 24 brands to be on board for this season,” Jayaraj added.

    The challenge Star India faced in the beginning was how to revive the ancient Indian sport. “Kabaddi World Cup got a viewership of 114 million which consumed around 11 billion minutes of TV,” Singh said. PKL is no doubt on the growth path.

    The on-ground sponsorship in kabaddi grew by 13 per cent year-on-year in 2016 and that cricket’s contribution in the overall sports revenue fell. “Around 61% of 2016’s on-ground sponsorship was contributed by three deals, one of which is Vivo’s title sponsor deal with Pro Kabaddi,” said media investment management company Group M business head – entertainment, sports & live events Vinit Karnik. On-ground sponsorship in 2015 and 2016 for cricket were Rs 529.5 crore (Rs 5295 million) and Rs 562.7 crore, respectively, and that for kabaddi were Rs 48.0 crore and Rs 122.0 crore, respectively.

    Vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 5 will begin on 28 July in Hyderabad and will travel across 12 host cities, culminating in Chennai with the ultimate battle of Kabaddi supremacy taking place on 28 October. The first match will see Rahul Chaudhari-led Telugu Titans clash with Tamil Thalaivas, which boasts of marquee player, Ajay Thakur.

    The 12 teams have been divided into two zones of six teams each, where each of them will be playing 15 intra-zone and seven inter-zone matches, prior to the play-offs. The play-offs stage will comprise three qualifiers and two eliminators scheduled to take place in Mumbai and Chennai.

    Vivo Pro Kabaddi league commissioner Anupam Goswami said, “For Season 5, our goal was to create a high-impact tournament which evokes euphoric sentiment among fans for their favourite teams. Strong contenders will be seen clashing in the action-packed 3 months of the league. The longer duration of the league, in addition to 12 teams battling in 138 matches, will give fans an exciting season of kabaddi to cheer for.”

    International Kabaddi Federation CEO Deoraj Chaturvedi said, “It is our foremost priority to tirelessly work towards nurturing and developing an evocative and engaging Kabaddi culture in India. The International Kabaddi Federation worked with Mashal Sports to create a dynamic schedule for Vivo  Pro Kabaddi Season 5 which will thrill the audiences. We are proud to see that the league, which is uniquely driven by innovation, has grown into one of the biggest in Indian sports.”

    Team sponsors are also gung-ho, and are investing in training. U Mumba, for example, has started a training academy in Kerala to develop talent. “We will train 50 boys each year and will also be venturing into E-sports,” U Mumba CEO Supratik Sen said.

    Click here for detailed schedule

  • India-Sri Lanka T20 game on Star Sports sets 5-year viewership benchmark

    India-Sri Lanka T20 game on Star Sports sets 5-year viewership benchmark

    MUMBAI: The second game of the PayTM T20 India vs. Sri Lanka series, broadcast on the Star Sports network, has become the highest-rated T20 international in the past five years. The match, won comprehensively by India, rated 256 TVM, according to BARC Panel CS4+ Urban calculations, surpassing the 112 TVM mark set by the India vs. Pakistan first T20 game in 2012.

    Anticipation was high heading into the game as Sri Lanka had dealt India a crushing defeat in the opening tie. A close game appeared to be on the cards but India’s batting order, led by a charge from southpaw Shikhar Dhawan, systematically picked apart Sri Lanka’s fearsome bowling attack on a dusty Ranchi pitch. The hosts scored 196, a total that proved insurmountable for Sri Lanka, with the visitors falling 69 runs short of the target.

    Despite the promise of a hard-fought game going unfulfilled, India’s dominant performance kept fans entertained. The ratings the match garnered, which followed the crushing defeat India dealt Australia last month on their home turf, sets the stage for the next few months of explosive T20 action still to come with the Asia Cup, ICC World T20 and the IPL all set to further whet viewer appetite for the shorter version of the game.

    Star India COO Sanjay Gupta said, “This is a fantastic start to the T20 season of cricketainement that will be available on Star Sports up ahead. We have got the Asia Cup being played in the T20 format for the very first time, followed by India playing host to the ICC World T20, with the Vivo IPL closing the exciting T20 season. All the action from these tournaments will be broadcast live on Star Sports with the IPL available on hotstar. India fans can expect a thoroughly enriched and immersive viewing experience this T20 season with innovations that will light up screens across platforms.”

    Viewership garnered by the India-Sri Lanka match is reflective of a surge in interest in the shorter version of the game. T20 is fast becoming India’s most-loved format of play and data shows fans have been enthusiastically lapping up the action from recent T20 series including the India-South Africa and India-Australia contests. This trend is also evident on digital channels with Hotstar, recording a 1.5 times higher watch time per viewer on all the recent T20 series than last year’s edition of the IPL 2015.