Sports Bulletin

BIPIN DANI Vijayakanth Viyaskanth's name for the net bowler's role in the forthcoming IPL was recommended by the former Sri Lanka captain and the ex-MCC president Kumar Sangakkara. The 21-year-old leg break bowler has been hired by Rajasthan Royals team. Sangakkara has been holding the director's post in the Rajasthan Royals franchise team. Speaking exclusively over the telephone, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth said, "First of all I would like to thank the Rajasthan Royals team for giving me such a wonderful opportunity. I heartily thank the respected Sangakkara and Arnold for recommending my name as the net bowler".   "I performed well in the LPL (Lanka Premier League) and the BPL (Bangladesh Premier League). I gained more experience in playing these big tournaments. Now I will be able to bowl at the world's leading batters in the IPL. The IPL is a big tournament. Though, at present I am there only as a new bowler but hope to take part in it". "Yeah, I have much confidence now but being a youngster, I need to improve my skills which will be gained by doing hard work in my field. I wish to play for our national Sri Lankan team and establish my place in the T-20 team", he signed off. Vijayakanth Viyaskanth will be in India at the earliest once his visa formalities are over this weekend. He will be based at Nagpur for the team's training schedules. His travel, accommodation and all other expenses will be borne by the team.    

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD: English lady Charlotte Edwards has been appointed head coach of the Mumbai franchise in the Women's Premier League (WPL). Edwards will be part of an all-woman coaching staff that also includes former India captain Jhulan Goswami, who will be mentor and bowling coach of the franchise that was bought by owners of the Mumbai Indians. Devika Palshikar, the former India allrounder, has been named batting coach. Edwards, the second-highest run-getter in both women's ODIs and women's Tests, has racked up significant coaching experience since her retirement from professional cricket in 2017. She has been head coach at English domestic team Southern Vipers, Southern Brave (the Hundred), and Sydney Sixers in the WBBL. At international level, she's done some coaching with the USA women's teams. In 2009, Edwards was awarded an MBE for leading England to the inaugural Women's T20 World Cup title. In the same year, she was also the captain of the ODI World Cup-winning England team. In her nearly two-decade-long career, she was part of five Ashes-winning squads, including being captain of two back-to-back triumphs in 2013. Since her international retirement, Edwards has been at the forefront of change in the women's game, taking seats on various committees with MCC and ICC. Palshikar was India's assistant coach between 2014 and 2016, before taking up a similar role with Bangladesh. She was part of the coaching staff of the Bangladesh squad that was crowned Asia Cup champions in 2018. She played one Test and 15 ODIs in a brief international career between 2006 and 2008. A total of 22 matches will be played in the inaugural WPL season, with each team playing the other twice to make it a total of eight games per team. The top-ranked team will enter the final directly, while the second and third-placed teams will face off in a Qualifier to determine the second finalist.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: Sunrises Hyderabad bought English batter, Harry Brook, with a mammoth price of US$ 1, 615, 000 in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Names and price of sold players: Shakib Al Hasan (US$ 150,000), Joe Root (US$ 121,000), Abdul Basith (US$ 24,000), Raghav Goyal (US$ 24,000), Yudhvir Singh (US$ 24,000), Naveen-Ul-Haq (US$ 60,000), Akash Vasisht (US$ 24,000), Mandeep Singh (US$ 60,000), M Ashwin (US$ 24,000), KM Asif (US$ 36,000), Anmolpreet Singh (US$ 24,000), Adam Zampa (US$ 182,000), Akeal Hosein (US$ 121,000), Litton Das (US$ 60,000), Rilee Rossouw (US$ 560,000), Shivam Singh (US$ 24,000), Bhagath Varma (US$ 24,000), Nehal Wadhera (US$ 24,000), Mohit Rathee (US$ 24,000), Ajay Mandal (US$ 24,000), Kulwant Khejroliya (US$ 24,0000), Sonu Yadav (US$ 24,000), Kunal Rathore (US$ 24,000), Avinash Singh (US$ 73,000), Nitish Kumar Reddy (US$ 24,000), David Wiese (US$ 121,000), Swapnil Singh (24,000), Mohit Sharma (US$ 60,000), Josh Little (US$ 536,000), Suyash Sharma (US$ 24,000), Rajan Kumar (US$ 85,000), Vidwath Kaverappa (US$ 24,000), Vishnu Vinod (US$ 24,000), Urvil Patel (US$ 24,000), Donovan Ferreira (US$ 60,000), Prerak Mankad (US$ 24,000), Duan Jansen (US$ 24,000), Mayank Dagar (US$ 219,000), Manoj Bhandage (US$ 24,000), Harpreet Bhatia (US$ 48,000), Amit Mishra (US$ 60,000), Piyush Chawla (US$ 60,000), Kylie Jamieson (US$ 121,000), Daniel Sams (US$ 91,000), Romario Shepherd (US$ 60,000), Will Jacks (US$ 390,000), Manish Pandey (US$ 292,000), Himanshu Sharma (US$ 24,000), Mukesh Kumar (US$ 670,000), Shivam Mavi (US$ 731,000), Yash Thakur (US$ 54,000), Vaibhav Arora (US$ 73,000), Upendra Yadav (US$ 30,000), KS Bharat (US$ 146,000), N Jagadeesan (US$ 109,000), Nishant Sindhu (US$ 73,000), Sanvir Singh (US$ 24,000), Samarth Vyas (US$ 24,000), Vivrant Sharma (US$ 317,000), Shaik Rasheed (US$ 24,000), Mayank Markande (US$ 60,000), Adil Rashid (US$ 243,000), Ishant Sharma (US$ 60,000), Jhye Richardson (US$ 182,000), Jaydev Unadkat (US$ 60,000), Reece Topley (US$ 231,000), Phil Salt (US$ 243,000), Heinrich Klaasen (US$ 640,000), Nicholas Pooran (US$ 1,951,000), Ben Stokes (US$ 1,981,000), Cameron Green (US$ 2,134,000), Jason Holder (US$ 701,000), Sikandar Raza (US$ 60,000), Odean Smith (US$ 60,000), Sam Curran (US$ 2,256,000), Ajinkya Rahane (US$ 60,000), Mayank Agarwal (US$ 1,006,000), Harry Brook (US$ 1,615,000), Kane Williamson (US$ 243,000).

Sports Bulletin Report DELHI: The Governing Council of the TATA Indian Premier League (“TATA IPL”) had issued an Invitation to Tender (“ITT”) for Media Rights to the Indian Premier League Seasons 2023 – 2027. As part of the process, an e-auction was conducted from June 12, 2022, to June 14, 2022, wherein all eligible bidders were permitted to participate to determine the successful bidders for the Media Rights. The successful bidders will acquire the Media Rights from IPL Season 2023 to IPL Season 2027 for a cumulative figure of INR 48,390.32 crores, subject to execution of definitive documentation and completion of formalities as required by BCCI, and other obligations specified in the ITT being completed. BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly said: "The game has never been just about money, it is about talent. The IPL e-auction just showed how strong the game is in our country. The numbers should be the biggest motivation for all the young players to take their ability and Team India to the highest level. “IPL’s growth story and its phenomenal rise in the sporting world is a result of people’s immense faith and belief in the BCCI leadership and its workforce to keep on delivering under all adversities. I am sure with the constant support of everyone in the eco-system we will be able to take brand IPL to new heights on the global sports stage.” BCCI Honorary Secretary, Jay Shah said: “It gives me immense joy and makes me proud that IPL has grown to what it is today. The e-auction today has catapulted IPL into the big league in terms of per match media rights value. We ensured that the process was transparent and fair to all stakeholders. I congratulate all the winners and thank the bidders for participating in the e-auction process. I also express my gratitude to the market forces for believing in the brand and showing their faith and confidence in BCCI to take IPL to newer heights. I am sure, together, we will keep adding value to brand IPL and make it the biggest sporting league in the world in terms of revenue, participation and performance. “The whole idea is to balance cricket and commercial interests as BCCI is committed to developing sports in the country through cricket. The money we generate through media rights will ultimately benefit grassroots cricket in India and that is what ultimately matters. The BCCI is also committed to launching the Women’s IPL in 2023 apart from creating maximum opportunities for the growth of women’s cricket in the country. In BCCI’s attempt to ensure that sports should travel beyond cricket, it is also setting up indoor sports academies in the Northeast and stadiums in select locations to promote sports in every nook and corner of the country. The BCCI will also build a resource pool to provide pension and financial aid to former players and widows of cricketers.” Chairman, IPL Governing Council, Brijesh Patel said: “It gives me immense pleasure to welcome the winners to the IPL family and I also thank all the bidders for showing their interest to be part of the growth story that this League has been writing every year. This faith of India Inc. in Brand IPL also testifies that they see value in investing in the property which has only seen growth in all directions. “The growth achieved by the IPL in a span of 15 years has been substantial. We are now among the top two sporting leagues of the world in terms of per match media rights valuation. This speaks volumes about BCCI’s organisational capabilities and the quality of cricket on display in IPL along with the support of our biggest stakeholder - the cricket fans.” BCCI treasurer, Arun Singh Dhumal said: “What we have achieved with IPL media rights will go a long way in promoting a purely “Made in India” sports property on the global stage. This is our first step towards what we at the BCCI have aimed to achieve in making India a sporting giant and expanding IPL’s base globally and making it the biggest ‘sporting’ league in the world. IPL's craze and popularity have never ceased to surprise anyone with each playing season. This is a landmark achievement and it will help the League grow not only in stature but also in credibility on the global sporting stage. It is not every day that your partners and stakeholders entrust so much faith and trust in a brand like the IPL and the leadership qualities of BCCI.”