MUMBAI: India has Diwali, Christmas and Eid. And then India also has the Indian Premier League (IPL). No other celebration than the IPL can unite a Bengali and a Tamil in the same vein.
In its eighth season now, the sports property has grown by leaps and bounds. It continues to get bigger and better with international participation each passing year.
While India may have lost its mauka at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, this is one celebration where India wins with every new wicket taken and every ball crossing the boundary. As the teams battle on field and Kolkata Knight Riders sets out to pick their trophy once again, Indiantelevision.com gives you eight reasons why you should tune in to the eighth season of India Ka Tyohaar!
Perform or Perish for star players
For players like Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh, who missed out on playing at the Cricket World Cup 2015, this is the ultimate chance to prove themselves and set the record straight about their playing capabilities on field. Delhi Daredevils even paid a whopping Rs 16 crore for Yuvraj for this season, making him the highest fetched cricketer. Tales of united sportsmanship that brought teams together during this World Cup will stand divided now, as the battle of the ultimate champions begins during India Ka Tyohaar!
Think Global, Act Local
The IPL is India’s product and as such should be accessible for all. Official broadcast network Multi Screen Media (MSM) knows that and in this season, it has even decided to launch a brand new channel Sony Kix with IPL feeds in Tamil and Telugu. Its sister channel Sony Aath will ensure Kolkata Knight Riders fans are closer to their champions (And Shah Rukh Khan) with its Bengali feed. Max, again from its stable, will cater to the Hindi speaking audience, while Six will carry the English feed. No one will be a stranger to the IPL season 8!
WAGs to watch out for
Stuart Binny has Mayanti Langer, M.S Dhoni has Sakshi Dhoni and Kevin Pietersen has his posh spice of cricket, Jessica Taylor! But the star of the pack to watch out from the Wives And Girlfriends (WAGs) list is clearly Anushka Sharma. Post her innocent outing at the World Cup, Virat Kohli will have to really ensure his girlfriend’s oomph factor matches his own on the field. Mitchell Johnson’s celebrity wife Jessica Bratich and Michael Clarke’s Kyly Boldy are other reasons why you should tune in to this season of the IPL!
Come One, Come All
Fret not if you do not feel a little spendthrift this season. BCCI along with MSM will be treating fans to an exclusive fan park-screening cross 16 cities. The mass screenings are not only free but also come along with fireworks and music display. The experience promises to be one of a kind, treating fans to an experience as similar as the stadiums.
Make in India, play in India
Post its last outing to UAE last season, this season of the IPL will be played exclusively in India. It was then shifted out of the country for some time because of the Lok Sabha General Elections. However, now with Narendra Modi at the helm and his promising ’Make in India’ campaign, the IPL returns to India as the Indian made sports property will be played only in India and its diverse cities.
Women commentators and Cheer Leaders
Who said cricket was only a gentlemen’s game? Lending their wisdom and knowledge in IPL season 8 will be Anjum Chopra, Isa Guha, Lisa Sthaleker and Melanie Jones, who will be part of the 26-member strong commentary team. And then there will also be the sizzling set of cheer leaders ensuring their moves are in sync with the boys on field.
Remote Mode: Only IPL Season 8
During the seventh season of the IPL, households had tiffs over the remote as the general election was the eyeball grabber. However, post the tamasha and the country already gripped with India’s lost mauka, there is only one reason to settle for the remote: IPL.
IPL season 8 on the Go
No passes? Download Hotstar. Hotstar, which is Star India’s recent digital mammoth app, promises to provide netizens and the tech savvy audience seamless streaming of the IPL. People who are not near a television set can download the app and continue watching the playback continuously in as little as 64 kbps.
