IPL viewership on Hotstar doubles in 2016

STAR India’s online video streaming platform Hotstar has more than double its reach (unique viewers) for IPL in the past one year. For all the games played until the play-offs (between April 9 and May 22), 80 million people used the service, compared with 35 million a year ago.

The cash-rich Twenty20 tournament came under STAR India’s digital ambit in 2014 when it was made available on starsports.com. Last year, Hotstar was introduced, helping viewers see the tournament on the new app.

The network seems to be on track to achieve the target of reaching100 million IPL viewers this year. “We have seen the adoption of Hotstar as primary screen increase significantly among the urban affluent youth. At 80 million (unique) viewers before the play-offs, I expect the platform to add another 15 to 20 million in reach over the last leg of the tournament,” says Ajit Mohan, CEO, Hotstar, STAR India.

Total IPL watch time on the app has gone up by 60 per cent over 2015. The key to increasing the reach, according to Mohan, lies in the data-rich experience. Additionally, the application streams live scorecard and analysis before and after the match, as well as between the innings.Read more.

Virat Kohli set a new record by scoring his fourth century

ViratKohli set a new record by scoring his fourth century

Man-of-the-match Virat Kohli set a new record by scoring his fourth century (113 in 50 balls with 8 sixes and 12 fours) in this IPL season and Chris Gayle returned to form by hitting 73 in 32 balls with 8 sixes and four boundaries.

Desperate efforts by Vijay to break the partnership or get either of them out early failed as Kolhi and Gayle were in full cry and batted with disdain.

While the first 50 came in 4.4 overs of the six-over power play, the first 100 of RCB's innings came in 8.5 overs.

Though Vijay used as many as five bowlers to contain the openers, there was no respite for Kings till Gayle got caught by David Miller of Arshad Patel ball in 11 over when RCB score was 147 on the board.

After in-form AB de Villiers was bowled for a duck in 12th over, keeper K.L. Rahul joined Kohli to take the score to 199 when the skipper was caught by Miller off Sandeep Sharma ball at 113 comprising 8 sixes and 12 fours in just 50 balls.Ream more full article about Virat Kohli.

Chhattisgarh HC bats for IPL matches

 

The Chhattisgarh High Court (HC) has rejected pleas challenging the hosting of Indian Premier League (IPL)cricket matches in the state on the ground that it was reeling under serious drought.

The court has, however, put the condition that the event organisers, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Chhattisgarh State Cricket Association (CSCA), should arrange water for the matches including free drinking water to spectators. Neither the state government nor its agency would provide water for the event.

A five-member committee has been constituted to ensure that the court's order is implemented.Read more.

IPL T20: Harbhajan Singh, Ambati Rayudu involved in on-field spat

IPL T20: Harbhajan Singh, Ambati Rayudu involved in on-field spat

Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh sparked a controversy by engaging into a heated argument with his MumbaiIndians' teammate Ambati Rayudu during their Indian Premier League (IPL) match where they had an eight-wicket win against Rising Pune Supergiants at Mumbai Cricket Association Stadium last evening .
The incident took place in the 11th over when Rayudu failed to stop a boundary hit by Pune Supergiants' Saurabh Tiwary on Harbhajan's delivery despite a brilliant effort at the boundary rope.
Furious with Rayudu's fielding, Harbhajan started abusing his teammate which sparked the argument between the two players.
Rayudu, who seemed to be disappointed with Harbhajan's behaviour, walked towards his senior player to oppose him. But, the off spinner was seen pacifying him before the situation would have turned out of control.
It was not the first time when Harbhajan was seen engaging in an on-field spat. He had earlier slapped tainted pacer S. Sreesanth after Mumbai Indians' defeat to Kings XI Punjab in the first edition of the IPL. Read more.

IPL Gov Council to discuss moving 10th edition abroad: BCCI secretary

 

The members of the Indian Premier League's governing council are likely to deliberate on whether the 2017 edition of the cash-rich tourney can be held abroad, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur revealed Thursday.

"The IPL governing council will be looking at the venues in India and abroad. We have to check the availability of the venues and prevailing conditions," Thakur told a select gathering of journalists during an interaction at the BCCI's Delhi headquarters today.

Read more from our special coverage on "IPL"

• Citing drought, PIL seeks shifting of IPL matches from Raipur
• Problems related to IPL affect the franchises: Preity Zinta
• Bombay HC allows BCCI to hold May 1 IPL match in Pune
• Happy, united, young goes the IPL chant
• Branding googlies for late entrants

IPL has been twice played outside India both being assembly election years. In 2009, the league was moved for the entire duration to South Africa, while in 2014, it was shifted to the United Arab Emirates for the first 15 days.

That the BCCI top brass is deliberating on the issue was clear when BCCI treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary had tweeted four days back: "Very soon IPL may be played outside the country, if this goes on. Loss to the GDP would not be insignificant."

The IPL has been rocked by one controversy after another from its inception year but during this edition, the spate of Public Interest Litigations (PIL) filed by various organisations has thrown the itinerary into disarray.

Already 12 IPL matches have been moved out of drought-hit Maharashtra on the Bombay High Court's directive after a PIL was filed claiming that a substantial quantity of water was being used in maintaining the various cricket stadiums in the state.

"I have asked the state units to check water-harvesting structure," Thakur said.

The BCCI secretary also said in no uncertain terms that if the Lodha Committee recommendations pertaining to curtailment of advertisement is implemented, then it will have a sharp negative impact on BCCI's revenue structure.

Read More.

Problems related to IPL affect the franchises: Preity Zinta

Problems related to IPL affect the franchises: Preity Zinta

Kings XI Punjab co-owner Preity Zinta feels that every year problems related to the Indian Premier League “do affect” the franchise as a brand and its business as the cash-rich league has become some sort of a “whipping boy”.

“Yes, it does affect the brand and it is unfair to the owners. It affects our business as every year there is some controversy or some rumours that come up. I believe at one level IPL has become a whipping boy for many,”  Preity Zinta told PTI during an interaction on the issue of Maharashtra drought that led to shifting of 13 matches. It must be noted that in 2013, IPL was rocked by spot-fixing scandal due to alleged involvement of three Rajasthan Royals cricketer including former India international turned politician S Sreesanth.

Read more from our special coverage on "IPL"

• Bombay HC allows BCCI to hold May 1 IPL match in Pune
• Happy, united, young goes the IPL chant
• Branding googlies for late entrants
• Pune picks Vizag as home pitch, Mumbai to decide on Sunday
• Sixers and fixers

In 2014, IPL’s first half was held in United Arab Emirates due to the general elections in the country suspended for two years for their involvement in spot-fixing scandal. The well-known Bollywood actress feels that it has been unfair as IPL has not only provided a platform for the emerging talent, but also created a window for franchise-based leagues in other sports in the country.

"Thanks to the IPL, we now have a Kabaddi League, the ISL, the Badminton League, the Hockey league (HIL)." While she made it clear that she has complete faith in the judiciary, Zinta questioned those who have filed PIL regarding usage of water to maintain stadiums in drought-hit Maharashtra."I have complete respect for the judiciary. But I have a question as to what all those people who have filed PIL done to resolve this crisis in Maharashtra. Let me tell you that I have worked extensively in a Maharashtra village for the well-being of elderly people, “ said Zinta.Read More.

Kicked out of Maharashtra: How the HC order will affect IPL 2016

The ninth iteration of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has run into the mother of all roadblocks — in the form of the Bombay High Court's Wednesday order that all IPL matches scheduled in Maharashtra after April 30 be shifted elsewhere in view of the severe drought in the state.

The order came despite an assurance by the Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) that IPL franchises of Mumbai and Pune had agreed to contribute Rs 5 crore to the chief minister’s drought relief fund.

Additionally, the BCCI on Tuesday had assured the Bombay High Court that untreated sewage water would be used to maintain pitches for the seventeen IPL matches to be played in Mumbai and Pune.

Despite all arguments set in front of the court by the BCCI, the court said: “We agree that merely shifting of IPL matches out of the state will not be a solution but this can be a beginning to address the drought situation in Maharashtra. Several people are dying because of water scarcity in the state. This court cannot ignore the plight of such people.”

What led to the judgement in the first place:
 

A public interest litigation filed by NGO Loksatta Movement, challenging the use of large quantities of water in stadiums despite the state being drought-hit, brought the matter to the attention of the Bombay High Court.

Earlier this month, the high court had questioned the rationale of organising these matches in Maharashtra when the state is under drought.

"How can you waste water like this? Are people more important or IPL? How can you be so careless," the court had said while hearing the suit, adding, "This is criminal wastage. You know the situation in Maharashtra."

The matter had escalated further when Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis refused to provide potable water for maintaining the pitches and said that he was not bothered even if the matches were shifted out of the state.

"My government has taken strong position in the High Court. We have said that we will not provide potable water for IPL for this season. We don't have any problem even if IPL is shifted, but no potable water will be provided," he had told the media.

BCCI sacks Harsha Bhogle from IPL commentary, leaves fans enraged

The ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament has lost its most authoritative voice. An Indian Express report on Monday noted that Harsha Bhogle, one of cricket’s best known commentators worldwide, has been unceremoniously dropped by the Board for the Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) for the ongoing edition of the IPL.

According to The Indian Express, Bhogle, 54, was informed about the termination of his contract with IPLonly a week ago.

Bhogle tweeted on April 9 that it "would have been nice to be part of @IPL again".

Bhogle, who is known as the voice of Indian cricket, has 3.66 million followers on Twitter where, predictably, his ouster, for which no official reason has been given yet, elicited howls of outrage and protest.

Speaking to the Sunday Express, Bhogle said, “No one told me anything. I have not been formally told of the reason even now. All I have been told is ‘it is a BCCI management decision’.”

What’s more, BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur and IPL 2016 Chairman Rajeev Shukla refused to comment on the sudden move.

However, the report adds that some board members have referred to an incident which occurred last month during India’s opening World T20 game at Nagpur.

According to the report. Bhogle had a heated exchange with a Vidharbha Cricket Association official over locking a door to the VIP box that separated the commentary boxes for English and Hindi; this meant that bilingual commentators, such as Bhogle, had to climb flights of stairs up and down to get around the VIP box each time they needed to switch from one language commentary to the other. Some BCCI officials hinted that that incident could have caused the sudden termination of contract. BCCI president Shashank Manohar is a native of Nagpur, which is in the Vidarbha region.

Earlier last month, after India's nail-biting victory over Bangladesh in the World Cup T20 quarter-finals, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan had tweeted his displeasure with a cricket commentator, who he didn’t name, saying Indian commentators talk more about foreign players than Indian ones. Read More.

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