Star Group clinches Indian cricket's broadcast rights

 

Star Group today beat competition from Multi Screen Media (Sony) to bag six-year broadcast and digital rights of India's international cricket matches at home and domestic events like Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and the Irani Trophy.

Star, in collaboration with ESPNCricinfo, bagged the broadcast, internet and mobile rights in India for a period of six years starting from July 2012 till March 2018.
The Rupert Murdoch-owned company's six-year contract is valued at Rs 3851 crore and will cover 96 matches in all.

It would be coughing up Rs 40 crore per match on an average much higher than the Rs 32.5 crore per match that Nimbus was paying the BCCI before its contract was terminated last year due to default in payments.

Star and Multi Screen Media (Sony) were the only two companies to make the bids but a total of five had filed the tenders.

"The BCCI is very happy with the deal. Now the media rights have been fully evaluated and fully priced with Star coming out with a such a deal," BCCI President N Srinivasan told reporters while making the announcement.

The second highest bidder was Multi Screen Media (Sony), which bid Rs 3700 crore.
"Following a transparent process of verifying the eligibility of each bidder, the winner was chosen," Srinivasan said.Star Group's India CEO Uday Shankar promised that the company would provide good telecast of the matches.

"I thank the BCCI for giving Star the broadcast rights. In collaboration with our partnbers ESPN, we will do a commendable job," he said.

"We have already got channels. But the option of launching a channel if number of matches demand that is always open," he added.

ESPN-Star already have the rights of all ICC events and also the rights of domestic cricket in England and Australia.

The BCCI's marketing committee had set the price for category A games at Rs 31.25 crore per match (approx USD 6.1 million) plus Rs 1 crore (approx USD 0.2 million), while category B games were set at Rs 34 crore (approx USD 6.67 million) plus Rs 1 crore.
The board failed in its attempt to sell the internet rights separately last year, as the initial base price of Rs 3 crore and the subsequently reduced price of Rs 2 crore found no takers.

The matter has subsequently been referred for arbitration, with the Bombay High Court ruling that Nimbus must deposit Rs 305 crore (approx USD 60 million) with the court as security for the amount the BCCI claims it is owed by the company.

Nimbus has also made a counter-claim of Rs 600 crore (approx USD 118 million) from the board

Memories of WC triumph will last forever: Tendulkar

India might have completed their first anniversary of the World Cup triumph today, but the memories of the historical feat has left an everlasting impression on Sachin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar, who was vital to India's success in the World Cup a year back, said that he will cherish the memories of the triumph throughout his life.

"Time flies but memories last forever. What a day it was!!! 02-04-2011," tweeted Tendulkar as the country celebrates the first anniversary of its second World Cup triumph.

Exactly on the same day a year ago, India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to lift the World Cup after a gap of 28 long years.
Tendulkar's World Cup-winning teammate Virender Sehwag also recollected the memories of the historic feat and thanked the cricket-crazy fans of the nation and the BCCI for their enormous support.

"Can't believe its been a year since we were crowned the World Champs! Everyone contributed to the dream spcly the supporting fans! Thank you," he tweeted.
"A big hug to each and every team member including the support staff.

"A special thanks to the BCCI for being sensitive to our needs and providing us whatever we requested," Sehwag wrote on his twitter page.

‘World Cup win changed our lives’

 

'You will matter when it matters the most’ are the words Sachin Tendulkar told Yuvraj Singh and those words served as an inspiration for the dashing all-rounder during India’s World Cup triumph last year.

On the eve of India’s first anniversary of the World Cup triumph, Yuvraj, who is recovering from a rare germ cell cancer, revealed that Tendulkar had a crucial role to play in his man-of-the-series winning performance during last year’s mega-event.

Yuvraj recalled that he was not in the best of form and fitness coming into the World Cup, but Tendulkar and speedster Zaheer Khan’s pep talks motivated him to do something special in the quadrennial event.

“Couldn’t have asked for anything better. I didn’t expect myself to play as well as I did in the World Cup. I was coming in without form and I wasn’t timing the ball how I wanted to,” he said in a video interview posted on his twitter account about his thoughts on the World Cup anniversary. “In my tough times, I just spoke to Sachin about my issues with batting and form and fitness, and he told me that you will matter when it matters the most. That is a very special thought, it remains with me.

“I remember I have a picture of me and Tendulkar together which I have put in my locker. I used to have a look at that picture and go into bat. He is my inspiration,” Yuvraj said.

“Zaheer Khan also told me in Bangladesh before the World Cup about me doing something special in the World Cup. That time I was going through a bad wrist injury,” he added.

As India complete the first anniversary of the World Cup triumph, Yuvraj described the feat as a “cherished and special moment”.

“All you can remember is flying colours of the flag, Wankhede stadium (the host of the World Cup final) in joy and an Indian dream coming to reality. It was a great moment in history because winning the World Cup was everything to us and especially to do it for Sachin Tendulkar,” he recollects in the video. “It (World Cup triumph) will always be a very special memory for me and all the Indians. It is a cherished memory which we will always keep in our hearts,’’ he added. Post World Cup, Yuvraj went through the toughest phase of his life after he was diagnosed with cancer. But he is now recovering from fatal disease after having discharged from the hospital in Indianapolis in the US on March 18 following the completion of the third and final cycle of chemotherapy. “It (World Cup) did change everybody’s life. I didn’t expect that I would land up here after the World Cup but that’s life,” he said.

“I was at the peak of my career when I was diagnosed with cancer, but now I am treated and absolutely fine. I am thankful to my guruji, my mother. It has been a tough journey but I am lucky that the cancer was detected at an early stage and I got cured. Now I just want to live my life like a normal person, just want to celebrate life,” he said.

Yuvraj also thanked his fans for standing behind him in such a difficult phase of his life and said he is now raring to return to the ground. “I can’t thank everyone enough for all the prayers and wishes. I have been watching everyone praying across the cities back home for me. The support has been amazing, I couldn’t have asked for more. I actually realised how loved I am,” he said.

“I just want to tell all that I am good and will be back to normal health soon. I am looking forward to playing for India again,’’ Yuvraj concluded.

Tendulkar hands over MI captaincy to Harbhajan Singh

 

Sachin Tendulkar today decided to hand over the captaincy of Mumbai Indians in the fifth edition of IPL to Harbhajan Singh following a discussion with the management of Mumbai Indians.

"Sachin Tendulkar in discussion with the management of Mumbai Indians has decided to hand over the responsibilities of captaining Mumbai Indians in Season V of the Indian Premier League to ace off spinner Harbhajan Singh," a press release issued by Mumbai Indians stated.

"The Mumbai Indians is more than a team. It is like a family to me. At this point of time, I feel I need a break from the responsibility of captaincy of the Mumbai Indians. After due consideration, I discussed my intention to hand over the Captainship of the team to Harbhajan Singh, with Mukeshbhai and Nitabhabhi," Tendulkar was quoted in the media release.

Tendulkar further stated, "I was touched by the graciousness and wholehearted support they offered me while emphasising that they would accept any decision which helps me to continue enjoying the game. Harbhajan will have my wholehearted support as the senior most player in the team."


Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani termed it as a "difficult moment when Sachin expressed his desire to relinquish the captaincy."

"But we believe that Sachin is the best judge on such matters and hence, as always, we fully support his decison. I have learnt a lot during the last three seasons working with Sachin closely.

Sachin is the soul of Mumbai Indians, and I am sure he will guide Bhajji as he takes on the responsibility of captaining Mumbai Indians," Nita Ambani said.

Harbhajan termed this as a "huge honour" as he thanked Sachin and Mrs Ambani for entrusting this responsibility.

"Sachin paaji spoke to me about his decision of wanting me to take over the responsibility of the team. It is huge honour and I thank Paaji and Nita Bhabhi for the faith reposed in my abilities", he said.

"Mumbai Indians is a great team with explosive talent and promising youngsters. I am committed to do the very best and look forward to leading the team to play to its full potential during the season," Harbhajan added.

Ankle injury rules Smith out of IPL

South Africa Test captain Graeme Smith will miss the upcoming Indian Premier League to undergo an ankle surgery, CSA said in a statement on Sunday.

Smith, who was due to play for Pune Warriors in the IPL starting on Wednesday, will undergo a surgery on his left ankle, which has been troubling him over the last two months.
Cricket South Africa informed that the decision to operate upon Smith was taken after consultation with the Board’s ankle specialist, who detected an impingement syndrome of the ankle.

“Graeme went to see CSA’s ankle specialist in Cape Town this weekend and he confirmed that the best management of the chronic pain in his ankle is surgery,” South African team manager, Mohammed Moosjee said in a statement issued by the Board.

“The recovery period after such a surgery usually takes 8-10 weeks, and he will subsequently not be able to represent Pune Warriors at the 2012 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in India.”

The surgery will be performed next Tuesday, in order to allow for sufficient recovery and rehabilitation ahead of the South Africa’s tour of England in July.
“I’m very disappointed to be missing out on the IPL this year,” Smith said.

“I was looking forward to my second season with Pune Warriors, especially after my knee set me back last season. I would like to wish them all of the best this year. I’m sure the new management and exciting new signings will be a positive boost for the side,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings opening batsman Abhinav Mukund was also ruled out of action for 10 days after he twisted his left ankle during a fielding practice session.
According to a posting on the team’s website quoting team physio Tommy Simsek and manager Russell Radhakrishnan, Mukund was given medical attention on the field and taken for a precautionary X-ray, which revealed he will be out of action for 10 days.

'Batting with Gayle can be intimidating'

Chris Gayle is considered as one of the hardest hitting openers of the game and India vice-captain Virat Kohli feels it’s difficult to emulate the West Indian because matching his exploits is next to impossible.

“I understand that it’s better to play to your own strengths rather than emulating someone like Chris because matching him is almost impossible. Only he can bat like that,” said Kohli. “Chris Gayle is the hardest hitter of the cricket ball in the world,” he added.

Kohli, who shares the dressing room with Gayle as a part of the IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore, however admitted that batting with the talismanic opener could be extremely intimidating. “The most difficult thing is to keep yourself safe!,” he said jokingly. “On a serious note, batting with someone like Gayle can be very intimidating. When you see him batting like that at the other end, you might get bogged down with the pressure of coping with his strike-rate,’’ Kohli added.

“It also works the other way. You don’t need to worry about the scoring rate because he’s doing all the hitting at the other end. You only have to ensure the wickets are intact,” Kohli told IPL’s official website.

Kohli, who had also led the Royal Challengers in the last edition of the IPL in the absence of injured skipper Daniel Vettori, said leading the team was ‘a fun experience’.

Nervous

“I was a bit nervous in the beginning. But once I took the field and started to think as a captain, I was fine. I was very well-supported by everyone in the team in terms of what I planned and what fields I wanted to set. That made me pretty relaxed. It was a fun experience for me,” he revealed.

The 23-year-old lad from Delhi said he would like to imbibe a few qualities from each of his Royal Challengers’ captains. “From Rahul Dravid, I’d want to imbibe his patience. He is very calm and patient under the most pressure-filled situations. If your side is losing, as a captain it’s not easy to control your emotions. But Rahul bhai does it so wonderfully well,’’ he said. “I want Anil Kumble’s competitiveness and the never-say-die attitude. He not only motivates his team but also sets an example for everyone to follow by putting in his 100 per cent effort in the field,’’ he added.

“Vettori’s composure is tremendous. The way he backs his bowlers in crunch times is especially amazing. I’d like to learn that from him,” explained Kohli. Comparing the past and current RCB teams, Kohli said, “Honestly, I think we had the best squad in 2009.

With the quality of players we had then — the likes of Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Ross Taylor, Jacques Kallis, Kevin Pietersen, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn -- it was a really strong side,’’ Kohli said.

“Having said that, even now we have some big names, like AB de Villiers, Zaheer Khan, Chris Gayle and Daniel Vettori. What makes the current team even stronger is that we gel really well as a team,’’ he added.

Despite a busy cricketing calendar, Kohli said he was looking forward to getting back on the cricket field. “Yes, I’m really looking forward to batting again for RCB. IPL has always been a fun time for the players to enjoy some exciting T20 cricket,” the in-form Delhi lad said.

Indian cricket star rejoice on twitter over the first anniversary of World Cup-2011

New Delhi, Mon, 02 Apr 2012

Indian cricket stars who had added a moment of pride for Indian Cricket, today are celebrating the first anniversary of winning moment via expressing their feelings on Twitter.
Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina along with other team mates have twitted on microblogging site and thanked to their fans.
Most of the greets are coming for Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Sachin Tendulkar for whom winning the World Cup was a childhood dream, can't believe that the 12 months passed away, has twitted, "Time flies but memories last forever. What a day it was!!! 02-04-2011."
Indian opening batsman Virendra Sehwag twitted, "Can't believe its been a year since we were crowned the World Champs! Everyone contributed to the dream spcly the supporting fans! Thank you."
"A big hug to each and every team member including the support staff. A special thanks to the BCCI for being sensitive to our needs and providing us whatever we requested," Sehwag twitted.
Indian Captain who lifted the coveted World Cup 2011 after the gap of 28 years said that lifting the coveted World Cup 2011 was the most amazing moment of his life instead of hitting the winning six.
India's splendid middle - order batsman Suresh Raina twits "Its a year already & the disbelief continues. The most special date of my life. That moment of euphoria Of madness. Of lifelong inspiration."
Last year on April 02, 2011 at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, Indian ODI team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni defeated Sri Lanka in the World Cup final. The team dedicated the win to Sachin Tendulkar who could not hold his tears when he lifted the coveted World Cup 2011.