And The Most Valuable IPL Franchise Is…
IPL is all about numbers. On the cricket pitch, it is a numbers game between the batters and bowlers, and off it, the business numbers take precedence. As per the latest data, the IPL’s brand evaluation has surged by 433 percent in the last 15 years. To put it in simple words – the IPL is no longer a sports league. It is a product held by a private body, with its evaluation exceeding $10 billion or more. In the last three years, the brand value has doubled. For the naysayers, the brand value is the value of the entire product including the sponsors, the revenue, the audience watching the game, the broadcasting rights, the players and team worth, and of course the advertisements. Talking strictly only about cricket leagues, the IPL is valued 20 times more than the second-placed ‘The Hundred’ at $508 million. No wonder, the best cricketers in the world do not want to miss this competition at any cost. Which is the most valued IPL team? Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians are struggling to put match-winning performances in IPL 2024, but the 5-time champions have a winning legacy and are sponsors’ favourites. MI heads the pack with an evaluation of $87 million, thanks largely to star players Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and other fan following, and consistent results in the past decade. Second on the list is 5-time champions Chennai Super Kings, a team valued at $81 million. CSK boasts of a massive, dedicated fan base, the Yellow Army, the power behind its brand value. The presence of MS Dhoni makes the franchise, an indispensable asset for sponsors and investors. The two most successful franchises – Mumbai and Chennai take the top two spots. The following lists all ten franchises and their current brand value. IPL Franchises Brand Value
T20 World Cup 2024: Cricket’s Big Leap: What Co-Hosting the Tournament Means for USA and Sports Fans
The United States is gearing up for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to kick off from June 02. The mega event hosted by Cricket West Indies and USA Cricket is going to serve as a big deal for cricket and for sports in America. What does co-hosting the tournament mean for cricket fans, sports lovers, and people. It’s time to dig deep. A First for American Sports:This is the first time the United States will host a cricket tournament of the stature of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. It’s bringing fast and exciting T20 cricket to Dallas, Texas, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and East Meadow, New York. Cricket’s Global FansCricket is one of the most popular sports around the world, with fans in excess of 2.5 billion fans. Most of the fans are young, around 34 years old. It’s the second most popular sport after soccer. What’s amazing to note is that almost 40% of cricket fans are females, which is incredible for the sport. Over 300 million people play cricket worldwide, a strength that cannot be ignored anymore. Cricket’s Getting Popular in the USAIn the USA, more than 30 million people are fans of cricket. That’s more than the entire Australian population. This shows that cricket making a name for itself in countries where baseball, football, and basketball usually dominate. Cricket Brings People TogetherIn the USA, cricket brings together people from different backgrounds. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 isn’t just a cricket tournament, it’s about celebrating different cultures. The Indo-American community, known as one of the most influential groups in the US, and the Telugu community, which speaks one of the fastest-growing languages in the US, are all part of this cricket celebration. Economic BenefitsHosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 is expected to boost tourism in the US. Other benefits include creating jobs, and helping local businesses. A successful organization of the World Cup means setting the stage for more big international events in the future. Youth SportsWith cricket becoming more popular, the tournament opens up new opportunities for young athletes. It gives them more sports to try out and helps grow the talent pool. Media and MarketingThe ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 is expected to get massive media coverage. This means companies can advertise to a new group of sports fans in America. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 is expected to change the cricket scenario in America. The States is ready to embrace cricket. Fans are excited, and there are big plans for entertainment around the event and by the looks of it, the ICC global event is likely to be a game-changer for the cricketing fraternity in the near future. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye.
T20 World Cup 2024 : India’s Iconic Dairy Brand To Sponsor South Africa and USA for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
In a recent announcement, Amul revealed that it will be the lead arm sponsor for South Africa and USA at the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Amul, an iconic and trusted Indian dairy product brand will feature on the sleeves of the given teams during the tournament starting from 1st of June 2024. Amul has supported cricket teams before, like the Netherlands, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan. Moreover, Amul has established itself as a well known dairy brand in the USA as well. Earlier Amul was associated with the South African cricket team during the 2019 ODI series and the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. This partnership with Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets milk and milk products under the Amul brand, shows a big move to spread and promote cricket all over the country, said the company. Amul started supporting international cricket in 2011 with the Netherlands cricket team and has since supported many teams in different ICC events, showing their commitment to the sport. “The goodness of Amul Milk will empower the USA Cricket team to win hearts and laurels from across the world. We wish our best to the team for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024,” Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of Amul, said in a statement. “Amul has been associated with the South Africa team in the 2019 ODI series and 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. We are proud to further strengthen our association with the South Africa men’s cricket team and wish them all the best for the T20 World Cup,” said Mehta on the association with the Proteas. (South Africa) Venu Pisike, chairman of USA Cricket, said, “We are pleased to have Amul on board as the lead arm sponsor for the upcoming and eagerly awaited ICC Cricket T20 World Cup 2024. Amul’s extensive track record of sponsoring cricket teams underscores its commitment to nurturing talent, encouraging sportsmanship, and uniting communities globally. Collaborating with esteemed brands like Amul inspires us to strive for excellence both on and off the field.” Just like Amul, a couple of other Indian brands such as Reliance, MRF Tyers, Mahindra Rise have been associated with some of the major international cricketing teams during most of the major ICC events. Investments in major ICC events help brands gain more visibility and credibility in the market. The USA will take on their neighbors, Canada, in their first game of the tournament on 2nd of June 2024. On the other hand the Proteas will kickstart their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against Sri Lanka on the 3rd of June, 2024. The Sportz Planet,Atharva Shetye.
While watching the IPL, name the technologies used in cricket
IPL 2024 is underway. The tournament’s business end has commenced. While the bowlers are getting pummeled all over the field, the batters are plundering runs at will. While it is understandable to have sympathy for the bowlers, the T20 format is becoming increasingly difficult for them. In the IPL 2024, not even technology has been able to help bowlers. Speaking of technology in cricket, instead of just enjoying the IPL 2024 from the comfort of your home, why not take a closer look at all the many technologies used throughout a match? Here’s the complete list: a) DRS: Officially called the Decision Review System, but the unofficial name is Dhoni Review System largely because of the accuracy with which Mahendra Singh Dhoni aces the review, much to the astonishment of his fans. Some of the tools used in DRS are ball tracking, Snickometer, front-foot technology, and smart bails. Ball tracking is used to define the trajectory of the ball, with the help of a series of cameras, thus helping the umpires with close LBW calls. Smart Bails are stationed at the top of the stumps, and glows when they make contact with the ball, helping the umpires with run-out decisions. Snickometer was developed in 1999, designed largely to help the umpire whether the ball has hit the bat or not? b) Ultra-edge: Also called edge detection, the ultra-edge determines whether a ball has made contact with either edge of the bat before being pouched by the fielder. c) Spider Cam: Watching the game up close with the Spider Cam has become the new norm in cricket. Basically, it is an HDD camera suspended through kevlar wires, thus helping the fans to watch the game from three different angles. d) Speed Gun: This gun determines the speed at which a bowler has bowled a delivery towards a batter during a game. Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar holds the record for delivering the fastest delivery in an ODI match at 161.3 km/h against England in 2003. e) Pitch Vision: This monitors a bowler’s individual ball’s length and bounce rate. It is extremely useful for bowlers to bowl accurately during a practice session. While the advancements in technology have been endless, the game has certainly become more exciting and, to an extent, a fair one with their introduction, reducing the unbiased nature of the home umpires in the past. Fair or unfair – that’s for the players, the ICC, the umpires and the referees to decide.
IPL 2024 : What’s the science behind power-hitting in cricket?
With the way batters are dispatching bowlers all over the park in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, it would be considered very brave of someone to aspire becoming a bowler. The IPL fixture at the Eden Gardens involving the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Punjab Kings on March 26th, highlighted the lack of balance between the bat and the ball. Bowlers from both the sides were helpless and stood no chance when willow wielders like Phill Salt, Sunil Narine, Jonny Bairstow and Shashank Singh were on a rampage. A brutal hundred from Bairstow combined with Shashank Singh’s whirlwind knock helped Punjab chase down the highest score in the history of IPL in just 18.4 overs. The assault forced Ravi Ashwin, considered as one of the modern-day greats vent out his feelings on X, and wrote “Save the bowlers” someone plsss #KKRvsPBKS #IPL2024”, making the audience think about the challenges bowlers face in cricket. Power hitting in the IPL has been over the roof IPL 2024 has already seen more than 700 sixes so far in the last 42 games and the count still goes on. The last game between KKR and PBKS itself was a record breaker with 42 sixes, making it a t20 fixture with the most number of sixes. Sunrisers Hyderabad is the team with the most number of sixes in the tournament so far with over 70 sixes already. Indeed, power hitting has been the talk of the town in IPL 2024. Power hitting has been helping batters target beyond the boundaries. With Strength and conditioning playing a crucial role in enhancing power hitting among the batters, guys like Travis Head, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, K.L. Rahul are tonking sixes at will. By focusing on exercises that build muscle strength, explosive power, and overall fitness, these players are able to generate more force when striking the ball. Improved strength in the legs, core, and upper body is allowing these batters to maintain balance and stability while executing powerful shots. In The Sportz Planet’s exclusive interview with Dr. Siddharth Unnithan, he said “hitting a six is not only about big power. Earlier it was considered about power. If you see the most hefty and strongest people like M.S.Dhoni or Yuvraj Singh, they all had huge power, and that’s how they could hit the six, that’s what we considered. But then now we are seeing that even normal people can hit sixes. So sports science has found out that it is all about momentum. And momentum is all about velocity and mass. So it is all about bringing the best.” He later added “if you have a good bat lift and a good downswing, for example like a person like Sehwag, who had a very good bat lift and a down swing. That’s what made him hit the ball sweetly. That’s what is converting a lot of success. That’s a major sports science aspect you can say; the momentum and the downswing. More than the power.” While Dr. Khyati Vakharia said, “A lot of sports have shifted from heavy muscular built to lean muscle. That’s the body you build when you train for maximum strength vs training for hypertrophy and submaximal. There is a whole training shift. So athletes have become more powerful and even look leaner.” Power Hitting – described in a nutshell Power Hitting is all about science, embodying a symphony of physics and biomechanics. It’s not merely about brute force, it’s a finesse born of scientific principles. The transfer of energy from the bowler’s delivery to the batsman’s swing involves the laws of motion and leverage. The sweet spot on the bat, its angle upon impact, and the velocity of the swing all determine the force with which the ball will be propelled. Biomechanical analysis delves into the optimal stance, grip, and body position to maximize power while maintaining balance and precision. Understanding the aerodynamics of the ball aids in timing shots and directing them with accuracy. In this fusion of science and sport, power hitters master the art of harnessing kinetic energy to send the ball soaring across the boundary. With cricket revolutionizing every season, there’s no doubt that it’s the science that is proving to be the real game changer in the sport. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye.
IPL 2024 : Technology and Cricket; the advancements through broadcasters’ lens
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 has so far been exciting to watch, and broadcaster, Star Sports has gone all out to make sure everyone’s experience of watching IPL 2024 is amazing. They’ve used cool tech stuff to make it even better. The latest numbers show that 44.8 crore people have tuned in during the first 22 days of IPL 2024. They’ve watched a total of 18,800 crore minutes. That’s more than last season, with an 8% increase in viewers and a 15% increase in match ratings. Here are top 5 awesome things Star Sports has done to make watching IPL 2024 special: 1. Sign Language CommentaryStar has introduced sign language commentary for fans who are deaf, hard of hearing, or visually impaired.Star Sports is doing something new and exciting! They’re using sign language to explain cricket games for people who can’t hear well or see well. This way, everyone can enjoy watching cricket together, no matter what challenges they might have. 2. AI Tech EnhancementsOne of the best user experiences is the usage of AI to let international commentators speak Indian languages and eliminate language barriers, so more people can understand and relate to the game.International commentators, via the use of AI can be seen talking in local Indian languages, in their own voices. This helps connect with more people and makes the game more fun to watch. Fans experienced the commentary of international cricketing stars like Steven Smith and Stuart Broad in Indian languages. This cool tech makes it easier for fans from different regions to enjoy the game together, without worrying about language differences. 3. Shor Meter Excitement MeasurementStar has introduced a feature called the ‘Shor Meter’ that measures how excited the crowd is during matches.Now, when you watch the IPL 2024 from home, you can experience the excitement of the crowd with the “Shor Meter” feature. This cool tool measures how loud the stadium gets during the matches in real-time. So, you can feel the energy of every thrilling moment right from your living room! 4. Teleportation and Mixed Reality Shows: Star has added amazing technology like Teleportation and Mixed Reality. During the pre and post-shows of ‘Cricket Live,’ you’ll see hosts and guests live from different places, but it’ll look like they’re all together in the studio. They’re making it happen with cool gadgets like Hololens and Player 3D Replay. It’s like they’re bringing the whole cricket world right into your living room! 5. Piero Analysis and Immersive Visual Experiences:Star is using advanced technology to analyze the game and give fans cool visual experiences.Fans are in for a treat with Piero Analysis, a super cool technology that lets you see the game in a whole new way. From the comfort of the studio, they can show you important moments from the match right when they happen. Plus, they use Player D Models and Hyperview tech to give you a really immersive experience. You’ll feel like you’re right there on the field, getting a sneak peek into what might happen next! Star Sports is making sure IPL 2024 is a blast for everyone, with cool tech, inclusive features, and great storytelling. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye.
How Sports Science is changing Cricket, one day at a time ?
Cricket, often dubbed as the gentleman’s game, has evolved significantly over the years. Beyond just sheer talent and skill, modern cricket has embraced the realms of science to enhance player performance, prevent injuries, and optimize strategies. At the forefront of this transformation is sports science, a multidisciplinary field that blends physiology, biomechanics, psychology, and nutrition to unravel the intricacies of cricketing excellence. In this article, we delve into the importance of sports science in cricket and how it has revolutionized the game. Enhanced Performance:Sports science has become instrumental in unlocking the full potential of cricket players. Through rigorous analysis of biomechanics, experts can dissect the nuances of batting, bowling, and fielding techniques. High-speed cameras, motion sensors, and biomechanical modeling provide invaluable insights into optimal body mechanics, helping players refine their actions for maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Whether it’s perfecting a bowler’s action to generate more pace or tweaking a batsman’s stance for better balance and power, sports science empowers players to elevate their performance to new heights. Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation:In the high-stakes world of professional cricket, injuries can derail careers and cripple teams. Sports science plays a pivotal role in injury prevention and rehabilitation by identifying risk factors, monitoring workload, and implementing tailored training programs. Advanced technologies such as wearable sensors and GPS tracking enable coaches and medical staff to closely monitor players’ physical exertion and detect signs of fatigue or overuse injuries before they escalate. Moreover, sports scientists collaborate with physiotherapists and strength coaches to design rehabilitation protocols that expedite recovery and minimize the risk of reinjury, ensuring that players spend more time on the field and less time on the sidelines. Nutritional Optimization:Nutrition is the cornerstone of athletic performance, and cricket is no exception. Sports scientists work closely with nutritionists to develop personalized dietary plans that fuel players for optimal performance and recovery. Whether it’s replenishing glycogen stores after a grueling match or maintaining hydration levels in sweltering conditions, proper nutrition can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Additionally, nutritional interventions can aid in injury prevention and accelerate healing, as certain nutrients play key roles in tissue repair and immune function. By harnessing the power of sports science, cricket teams can ensure that their players are primed and ready to excel on the field. Mental Conditioning:Cricket is as much a mental battle as it is a physical one. Sports psychologists employ various techniques, such as visualization, goal setting, and mindfulness, to enhance players’ mental resilience and focus. By addressing performance anxiety, building confidence, and fostering a positive mindset, sports science equips cricketers with the psychological tools they need to thrive under pressure. Moreover, mental conditioning can also aid in injury rehabilitation by mitigating the psychological impact of setbacks and instilling a sense of resilience and determination. Data Analytics and Strategy:In the age of big data, cricket teams are increasingly relying on analytics to gain a competitive edge. Sports scientists leverage statistical models and predictive analytics to analyze match data, assess player performance, and devise strategic game plans. From identifying opponents’ weaknesses to optimizing field placements and batting orders, data-driven insights inform decision-making at every level of the game. Moreover, technologies like Hawk-Eye and ball-tracking systems provide real-time feedback on umpiring decisions and help teams review contentious moments with greater accuracy. Conclusion:In the modern era of cricket, the marriage of sports science and technology has revolutionized the way the game is played, coached, and experienced. From enhancing player performance and preventing injuries to optimizing strategies and honing mental resilience, sports science permeates every facet of cricket. As the boundaries of human potential continue to be pushed, one thing remains clear: the importance of sports science in cricket is not just a game-changer—it’s a game-winner. The sports fraternity is yet to explore the full potential of Sports Science. It helps players stay fit, avoid injuries, and perform better. By using sports science, cricket teams can improve how they play the game. It’s like a secret weapon that helps players be their best while staying healthy. As cricket keeps changing, sports science will keep playing a big role, making sure players reach their highest level while staying safe. To know more on how crucial a role does sports science play in sports like cricket, keep a close eye on The Sportz Planet – SportSci Summit: Art & Science Of Peak Sports Performance. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye.