Sports Bulletin

Colombo, Sri Lanka (SB Report):-Galle Gladiators got a thrilling 4-wicket win over Kandy Warriors in the fourth fixture of the Lanka Premier League at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday. Chasing 144 to win, the Gladiators got over the line with four balls to spare when Lahiru Madushanka smashed the first two deliveries of the last over for a six and a four.  The Galle Gladiators needed 26 off 14 balls when the seventh-wicket pair of Madushanka and Dhananjaya Lakshan came together, and what a breath-taking finish it turned out to be. Madushanka was unbeaten on 22 with 2 sixes and a boundary while Lakshan played a quick-fire unbeaten innings of 10 runs from 4 balls. Lakshan had also performed with the ball earlier in the match, picking up figures of 2/11. The Gladiators got off to a great start as the openers Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka put up a partnership of 62 runs in 7.3 overs. Dhanushka Gunathilaka made 45 off 33 packed with 2 sixes and 4 fours and Kusal Mendis scored 16 off 21 with 2 fours. Skipper Bhanuka Rajapaksa kept up the momentum with a brisk 22 off 13 hitting 2 fours and a six. Earlier, Kandy Warriors posted a formidable total of 143 for 6 in their 20 overs. Ahmed Shehzad and Kamindu Mendis were the highlights of Warriors' batting card. Shehzad scored 56 off 51, while Mendis gathered 32 off 25. Samit Patel was the pick of the bowlers for the Gladiators with figures of 3/13. The Galle Gladiators are currently at the top of the table with 2 wins from 3 matches.

Colombo (SB Report):-The T20 fever officially hit the islands of Sri Lanka on Sunday as the second season of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) kicked off with a glitzy opening ceremony in front of a host of fans at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the cricket league, as Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa and General Shavendra Silva also graced the occasion. The culture and the tremendous passion for cricket in Sri Lanka was on display as various artists performed to the tune of the Lanka Premier League official song ‘Ekwa Jayagamu’ rendered by Bathiya and Santhush’, Yohani, Sanka, Sajitha, Umaria and ADK. Amongst the colour and fervour of the massive opening ceremony, the Lanka Premier League witnessed the presence of Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Namal Rajapaksa and General Shavendra Silva. Paralympic Gold Medalist Dinesh Priyantha also graced the event and declared the T20 franchise tournament open. Commenting on the occasion, Angelo Mathews, Captain of Colombo Stars and Sri Lankan legend said, “You know, all the nations are having this kind of a tournament and it benefits the country’s cricket because you produce so many young players and you give them the exposure playing with international stars so yeah, its a great exposure for all of them. LPL is a great platform for the budding stars and it is going to benefit Sri Lanka cricket a lot.” Anil Mohan - Founder and CEO of Dubai-based production giant IPG, the official promoter of LPL said, "An explosive start is very important for any competition and what a start it was on Sunday. I would like to thank Sri Lanka Cricket, all the sponsors and brodcasters and most importantly the fans of Sri Lanka cricket, who showed their passion and love for their favourite stars at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. We look forward to a fantastic tournament." The Galle Gladiators gained the first mover advantage in the opening match of the Lanka Premier League 2021 on Sunday after they defeated Jaffna Kings by 54 runs in Colombo. Gladiators Captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa scored 56 runs off 31 runs and helped his team post a total of 164/7. Thereafter, Samit Patel picked up figures of 3/21 as the Gladiators bowled the Jaffna Kings out for 110. Player of the Match Samit Patel said, “LPL is a great tournament to play in. It has great pitches and some very special people playing it. Great Talent Sri Lanka have got here and experience and exposure like this will make them even better." A total of 24 matches will be played in the Lanka Premier League 2021. The Final Round Games will see the top two teams in the points table playing the Qualifier 1, whilst the 3rd and 4th placed teams on the table playing in the ‘Eliminator.’ The winner of ‘Qualifier 1’ will directly go into the Final, whilst the loser of the ‘Qualifier 1’ will play against the winner of the ‘Eliminator’ in the ‘Qualifier 2’, and the winner of that game will go into the Final. The Final will be played on 23 December 2021 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Hambantota.

Saint Lucia (SB Report):-The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have partnered with SAYTV to create a market leading live chat app for cricket lovers to discuss the Hero CPL and the other cricketing events around the world all year-round. Although fans can use the app to chat with other users at any time, the first feature event taking place in the app will be a Q&A session with cricket legend and Hero CPL’s Director, International Cricket, Tom Moody. He will be joining CPL chat app users to talk about the India vs New Zealand Test series, the Big Bash T20 tournament in Australia and the Abu Dhabi T10 on the 5 December 2021 during the Big Bash match between Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars which gets underway at 8:15am GMT. SAYTV was launched into the German market in March 2021 with the intention of making an all-in-one social chat platform for everything TV related while ensuring an inclusive and friendly chat community welcoming everyone. Since then, the company has begun entering partnerships to create state-of-the-art live chat and entertainment technology for their clients.  SAYTV provides an easy to navigate app interface with engaging community features such as Quiz, breakout rooms, loyalty badges and more. A fully developed in-app store gives the opportunity to offer CPL specific emoticons, avatars, and custom wallpapers to give fans a truly immersive experience. Paula Raithel, SAYTV’s co-founder and CMO, said: “SAYTV provided the official live chat app for the CPL T20 tournament in August 2021. The collaboration was a tremendous success. Within a few days the CPL Chat App gathered an amazing Cricket community, sharing their thoughts and celebrating together. “Now looking forward to the future, we are excited to announce that the CPL and SAYTV have entered into a long-term partnership to provide CPL fans worldwide with a safe, inclusive, fun experience chat app.” Chris Watson. Hero CPL’s Head of Marketing, said: “We are always striving to bring our fans closer to the action and provide a way for them to engage with the league on a year-round basis. SAYTV’s fantastic chat app allows you to do just that. We were delighted with the success of the live chat app during this year’s tournament, and we are very much looking forward to this long-term partnership.” 

Dubai, UAE (SB Report):-Lancer Capital has inked new historic in cricket after acquiring a franchise in the forthcoming United Arabs Emirates (UAE) T20 Cricket League that will be held next year 2022. According to an official, Lancer Capital has investments in a variety of best-in-class assets.  The Chairman of Lancer Capital, Avie Glazer, is an owner of the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Glazer has also been the Co-Chairman of Manchester United since 2005.  Manchester United won more trophies than any other club in English football. Khalid Al Zarooni, UAE T20 League Chairman and Vice Chairman Emirates Cricket Board said; “I am very excited to welcome Glazer to the UAE T20 Family! To have a partner who has invested into sports properties with a long term investment perspective is a testament to the strength of the UAE T20 League’s Business Model and its value proposition to its stakeholders and an ode to the UAE as the destination of choice for global sports events.” Avram Glazer, Chairman of Lancer Capital LLC said; “I am very excited to be a part of UAE T20 at its formation.  UAE T20 promises to be a world class event that will be transformative to the growth of cricket in the Emirates.” Mubashshir Usmani, General Secretary Emirates Cricket Board said; “We are extremely pleased that a legendary sports owner like Avie Glazer has chosen to partner with the UAE T20 League. This is a resounding thumb up to the unique opportunity that the UAE T20 league offers to experienced and established sports business owners. Our partnership with Lancer Capital will enable us to combine fans of the two widely followed sports – football and cricket – in a never done before manner”

Dubai (SB Report):-Nearly 10,000 hours of live coverage – more than ever before - offered across TV and digital platforms in 200 countries at the back of increased viewership and consumption in India, Pakistan, UK, Australia and the strategic market of USA. Cricket and sports fans across the world enjoyed unparalleled coverage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, when the tournament returned after five years. The pinnacle of the shortest format of the sport offered explosive cricket and entertainment for everyone and featured cricket’s biggest names and best teams.  The event, the biggest ever cricket tournament to be staged in the UAE and Oman, broke viewership records in several regions, including garnering a record television reach of 167 million, and a record consumption of 15.9 billion minutes in India on the Star India Network, for the highly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash. The encounter is now the most viewed T20I match in history, exceeding the previous high of the India-West Indies semi-final match from the 2016 edition of the ICC event held in India. The overall TV consumption for the full tournament in India was recorded at 112 billion minutes, this despite India’s early exit from the tournament. Viewership share amidst younger audiences in India (children below the age of 15) was at a healthy 18.5% at the back of a highly successful marketing campaign “Live the Game” targeting a younger demographic. In the UK, viewership for the India v Pakistan match grew by 60% on Sky UK whereas the overall viewership for the market went up by 7%. In Pakistan, the event was being broadcast by three players for the first time namely PTV, ARY and Ten Sports, which led to further growth in viewership by 7.3% compared to the 2016 edition of the event.  In Australia, the viewership increased by 175% on the Fox Network. In the USA, which the ICC recently named as one of the focus markets for the sport, the tournament was the most viewed cricket tournament ever on ESPN+. ICC’s partnership with Facebook was a driver for the significant increase in video views, with a total of 4.3 billion views across all channels for the tournament, compared to 3.6 billion views which were garnered for the 2019 edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. The consumption across ICC’s digital assets also grew, recording a total of 2.55 billion minutes. ICC’s social media channels also saw a significant growth in engagement at 618 million across those platforms, which is a 28% jump since the 2019 edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said: “We are pleased with these outstanding global viewership numbers, that demonstrate the power of T20I cricket to attract a huge audience across the globe on linear and digital platforms. It reinforces our belief that there is a significant opportunity and appetite to grow the game in our strategic growth markets including the USA, so more fans can enjoy it, more kids are inspired by it and sponsors and broadcasters want to be a part of it.”

ISLAMABAD (Sports Desk):-Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), through its subsidiary Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Ltd (RSBVL) will acquire the rights to own and operate a new franchise cricket team in the Emirates Cricket Board’s upcoming UAE T20 League. The move is the first major overseas expansion of Reliance Industries’ cricket operations in the global franchise-based cricket leagues. RIL through Mumbai Indians is amongst the eight founding members of the IPL and over the years has evolved as the most successful cricket club both on-and-off the field. The deal will see UAE’s T20 League benefit from the company’s commercial and cricket know-how, promising a new and exciting brand of cricket for the Emiratis along with the best learnings, experiences, and entertainment. Chairman of the UAE T20 League and vice chairman Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Khalid Al Zarooni feels that RILs investment in UAE T20 League demonstrates the confidence of the corporate industry in UAE’s vision and ability to deliver a world class cricketing event. “We aim to transform cricket in the UAE through the UAE T20 League. Our wider plan includes expansion of cricket through various development programs being conducted in UAE by the League franchisees including talent hunts, coaching, and training by some of the best in the business,” says Zarooni. “RIL has the legacy with a proven track record in establishing the most successful team in franchise cricket. Association of vanguard like RIL with the League demonstrates the confidence in our system and the strength of our infrastructure to deliver world class events. We are pleased to welcome RIL onboard and look forward to having an exciting and continuing alliance,” he added. Commenting on the occasion, Nita Ambani, co-owner & architect of Mumbai Indians said, “With great pride and joy, we take our Mumbai Indians brand of fearless cricket to a new geography. We are thankful to our fans, both in India and overseas, for supporting MI wholeheartedly. I look forward to strengthening and further expanding our global fanbase, and having a longer engagement with them through this new League. While Mumbai Indians will continue to remain at the heart of our cricket operations, the popularity of global T20 leagues and attractiveness of the UAE market offer a unique opportunity for us to further unlock the value of our sports management expertise. It also allows us a platform to develop young international talent and share best practices both on and off the field.” Akash Ambani, owner of Mumbai Indians believes that the UAE T20 League presents a unique opportunity to build on existing global partnerships and benefit the growth of cricket in UAE. Says Akash Ambani: “We are extremely proud to have created a global franchise in Mumbai Indians, integrated with high values and ethos and our contribution to the Indian cricket ecosystem. We are equally confident of shaping another successful brand in the UAE and bring in our experiences to benefits the growth of cricket in the UAE.” Mubashshir Usmani, General Secretary ECB said: “The trust being shown by prominent business houses in the UAE T20 League is extremely encouraging. We are pleased with RIL’s association with the League as a franchise team owner. Having seen the professionalism in the operations of Mumbai Indians in the IPL, their success in putting together the most successful team in franchise cricket and the passion with which they pursue their goals, we are very confident that this association will be mutually beneficial for both RIL and the League and will support cricket development in UAE.” UAE T20 League sanctioned by Emirates Cricket Board will be held annually. For the initial few years, the League will feature 6 franchise teams competing in a 34-match event. The League will involve some of the biggest names in world cricket and provide a platform and exposure to upcoming young cricketers. Having RIL on board to the UAE T20 League is the first in a series of other important announcements about the League to be made in the upcoming days. About Reliance Industries Limited Reliance is India’s largest private sector company, with a consolidated turnover of INR 539,238 crore ($73.8 billion), cash profit of INR 79,828 crore ($10.9 billion), and net profit of INR 53,739 crore ($7.4 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2021. Reliance’s activities span hydrocarbon exploration and production, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals, retail, and digital services. Reliance is the top-most ranked company from India to feature in Fortune’s Global 500 list of “World’s Largest Companies”. The company stands 55th in the Forbes Global 2000 rankings of “World’s Largest Public Companies” for 2021 – top-most among Indian companies. It features among LinkedIn’s ‘The Best Companies to Work For In India’ (2021). About Mumbai Indians Mumbai Indians is owned by Reliance Industries Ltd through its 100% subsidiary IndiaWin Sports, and competes in the Indian Premier League having its home ground at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Over the last decade, Mumbai Indians has emerged as the most consistent cricket franchise maintaining its Number Uno position with seven titles, which includes a record 5 trophies in IPL and two Champions League T20 titles. The franchise commands immense brand value in the sporting world, with stakeholders trust, brand investment, fan engagement and performance. Brand Finance, a global brand valuation agency has recently accorded AA+ brand strength rating to Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians has the reputation of a global sporting club with its far worldwide reach through digital presence, having close to 29 million fans engaged digitally across the globe.  

Dhaka (Sports Bulletin Report):-Mohammad Nawaz hit a four off the last ball to ensure a 3-0 series clean sweep for Pakistan in the third and final match of the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium Mirpur, Dhaka on Monday. The tourists had won the first match by four wickets and the second by eight wickets over the weekend. On Monday, Pakistan’s 125-run chase took a dramatic turn in the final over of the match. Needing eight runs to win off the last six balls, the visitors lost the wickets of Sarfaraz Ahmed (6), Haider Ali (45) and Iftikhar Ahmed (6) in the first five balls bowled by Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah. After bowling a dot ball, Mahmudullah had Sarfaraz and Haider caught in the deep off successive balls. Iftikhar smashed a big six off the fourth ball of the over to leave Pakistan needing two off the last two balls. The right-hander was however caught attempting a big shot off the penultimate ball which brought Nawaz to the crease. The left-hander hit a majestic boundary over the cover region to ensure Pakistan’s five-wicket victory. Pakistan’s chase was built on a 51-runs second-wicket stand between player of the series Mohammad Rizwan and player of the match Haider. Rizwan was dismissed for 40 (43 balls, two fours, one six). The right-handed wicketkeeper batter had earlier added 32 for the first-wicket with captain Babar Azam (19). Pakistan were cruising in their chase before the flurry of wickets in the final over. Haider who batted at number three scored his 45 off 38 balls with the help of two sixes and three fours. Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first for the third successive time in the series. Debutant pacer Shahnawaz Dahani made an immediate impression as he bowled opener Najmul Hossain for five in the second over of the match. Leg-spinner Usman Qadir accounted for Shamim Hossain (22) in his first over to leave Bangladesh 37 for two in 7.2 overs. Mohammad Naim who opened the innings, top-scored for the hosts with 47 off 50 balls (two fours, two sixes), Naim added 43 for the third-wicket with Afif Hossain who contributed 20 off 21 balls. Despite keeping wickets in hand, Bangladesh batters failed to break the shackles as Pakistan bowlers’ maintained tight control over the proceedings. The hosts finished their 20 overs at 124 for seven, for Pakistan Mohammad Wasim Jnr took two wickets for 15 runs. Usman also took a couple of wickets conceding 35 runs in his four overs. Shahnawaz and Haris Rauf took a wicket apiece for 24 and 32 runs in three and four overs respectively. Pakistan made four changes in their eleven with Shahnawaz, Sarfaraz, Iftikhar and Usman replacing Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Shoaib Malik and Shadab Khan. Scores in Brief: Pakistan beat Bangladesh by five wickets Bangladesh 124 for 7, 20 overs (Mohammad Naim 47, Shamim Hossain 22, Afif Hossain 20; Mohammad Wasim Jnr 2-15, Usman Qadir 2-35) Pakistan 127 for 5, 20 overs (Haider Ali 45, Mohammad Rizwan 40; Mahmudullah 3-10) Player of the match:  Haider Ali Player of the series:  Mohammad Rizwan

Sports Bulletin Report Dhaka (November 20, 2021):-Batters Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan made light work of a 109-run chase as Pakistan won the second T20I by eight wickets to secure a 2-0 series win with one match of the three-match T20I series to spare against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium Mirpur, Dhaka on Saturday. Player of the match Fakhar who scored 34 runs in yesterday’s four-wicket win at the same venue, top-scored with a blazing unbeaten 57 off 51 balls (three sixes, two fours) while Rizwan contributed 39 off 45 balls (four fours) as Pakistan went past the target in the 19th over with 11 balls to spare. Fakhar finished the match in company of Haider Ali (six not out). Rizwan and Fakhar added 85 for the second-wicket after the tourists lost captain and opener Babar Azam for one in the third over of the innings. Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first. Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi who replaced Hasan Ali in the Pakistan eleven struck in his first over as Saif Hassan was dismissed lbw for a first ball duck. Mohammad Wasim Jnr dismissed the other opener Mohammad Naim (2) in the second over to leave the hosts tottering at five for two. Najmul Hossain and Afif Hossain added 46 runs for the third-wicket for what was the best partnership of the innings. Afif was dismissed for 20 by Shadab Khan with wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan taking the catch behind the stumps. Bangladesh kept losing wickets at regular intervals as Pakistan bowlers’ maintained control of the proceedings on another challenging pitch. Najmul top-scored with 40 off 34 balls (five fours). Afif who scored 20 was the only other batter to make a significant contribution. For Pakistan Shaheen and Shadab took two wickets each, Wasim, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz took a wicket apiece. The third and final match of the series will be played at the same venue on Monday, 22 November. Scores in Brief: Pakistan beat Bangladesh by eight wickets Bangladesh 108 for 7, 20 overs (Najmul Hossain 40, Afif Hossain 20; Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-15, Shadab Khan 2-22) Pakistan 109 for 2, 18.1 overs (Fakhar Zaman 57 not out, Mohammad Rizwan 39; Mustafizur Rahman 1-12) Player of the match: Fakhar Zaman

Sports Bulletin Report DHAKA, Bangladesh (November 18, 2021):-Pakistan today announced their 12-player squad for the first T20I against Bangladesh, which will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium on Friday. The match will start at 1400 local time. The second and third T20Is will be played at the same venue on 20 and 22 November. Squad (in alphabetical order): Babar Azam (Captain), Shadab Khan (Vice Captain), Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Junior, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shoaib Malik

Sports Reporter Dubai (November 17, 2021):-Mitchell Marsh and David Warner have made notable progress in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings after helping Australia win their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Dubai on Sunday. All-rounder Marsh, who struck an impressive 77 not out off 50 balls to be named Player of the Match in the final against New Zealand, has progressed six spots to reach joint-13th position among batters while Player of the Tournament Warner’s scores of 49 against Pakistan in their semifinal and 53 in the final have helped him move up eight places to 33rd position. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who top-scored in the final with a knock of 85, has gained seven places to reach 32nd position while Devon Conway is up three places to fourth position after scoring 46 against England in the first semifinal in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman is up eight places to 40th following his unbeaten 55 against Australia in the second semifinal in Dubai while spinner Shadab Khan has moved up seven places to 16th position after bagging four for 16 in the same match. Other bowlers to gain in the latest update include Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who is up two places to third, and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, whose haul of three for 16 in the final sees him move up two places to sixth position. New Zealand’s left-arm seamer Trent Boult is up seven places to 14th position after taking two for 18 in the final while Pat Cummins (up 24 places to 37th) and Chris Woakes (up 21 places to 46th) have also moved up the bowlers’ list. England’s Liam Livingstone is up seven places to third among all-rounders. Meanwhile, Canada batter Navneet Dhaliwal’s consistent performances in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Regional Qualifier have lifted him 36 places to 36th position. Dhaliwal’s scores included 65 against Panama, 49 against Argentina and 44 against Canada.