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KSR

@KShriniwasRao

Jan 18

#Thread
Pace at which technology is growing, how pandemic has quickened OTT into our homes, expectation of 5G rollout in telecom sector over next 24 months & how cricket is in the middle of it all this -- with technology as backdrop -- is evolving into a fascinating story. (1/25)

There are some interesting developments taking place behind the scenes in broadcast sector and what all of this culminates into shall have a massive impact on how we consume our cricket. The game earning top-dollar will merely be a by-product of a highly engaging market. (2/25)

I’ll try and share here how I see cricket's media rights playing out over the next eight to 10 months and industry trends that’ll make us sit up and take note as things flow. Action begins in February when BCCI rolls out the media rights tender for IPL. (3/25)

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KSR

@KShriniwasRao

Jan 16

Ravi Shastri on Virat Kohli:

“He’s right up there with the best anywhere around the world & will go down in history as the finest India ever had. Always strong-minded, the Virat I know was firm in how he wanted to pursue his cricket/captaincy. Absolutely dedicated to the job"

+

"He now has all the time & space to concentrate on what he wants to do next – which is concentrating on becoming the best batsman in the world once again."

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"Kohli’s biggest strength as captain is the drive, passion, and commitment he brought to the game. That drive to win at all times is what makes him special. He can walk away with his head held high”.

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KSR

@KShriniwasRao

Jan 6

It’s still raining in Johannesburg. Until play resumes, let me do an IPL #thread. This one is from my archives, 2009 and is an anecdote involving Shahrukh Khan. Those were years when I was still beginning to understand how a league works. What better to learn it from SRK! (1/25)

The first-ever IPL game had been set on fire by Brendon McCullum for the Kolkata Knight Riders on April 18, 2008 – 158 off 73 balls, 10 fours, 13 sixes. A strike rate of 216.43. I’ve rarely seen that kind of hitting (apart from Chris Gayle’s 175* in Bangalore, 2013). (2/25)

KKR began the party & SRK danced his way in the team owner’s box. It was a heady mix of cricket & Bollywood that helped the league first catch India’s imagination. As a journalist, I became very intrigued by how the business of IPL worked. SRK owning a team had its charm. (3/25)

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KSR

@KShriniwasRao

Jan 5

Just a thought...

Three years of no Ranji Trophy is a worry on what India's bowling, especially fast bowling, barometer will be like in 3-5 years from now.

+++++

Today, we have an idea about a Prasidh Krishna (9 FC matches) or an Avesh Khan (27 FC matches) because some selector, somewhere, has at least seen these boys play red-ball matches and tried assessing their skill-sets.

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But what next? Where's the feeder line? Look at Umran Malik for example. He's 22 already and has played just one First Class game. Three years lost to the pandemic. Nobody's fault. But in ideal circumstances Umran should've been "getting ready" by now.

+++

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KSR

@KShriniwasRao

Jan 2

#Thread
It is the start of the new year & we’re all looking forward to something new. It’s a fresh beginning for #IPL too – new teams, probably last mega-auction, fresh media rights sale. It’s a good time to contemplate what the future holds for cricket! (1/25)

This is completely my POV, based on conversations with industry-heads, general thoughts, and learnings from past. What could cricket look like in a few years from now? And how will that change dynamics of the sport again? Let’s look at it through the lens of IPL. (2/25)

I don’t see the IPL expanding from 10 teams anytime soon. There needs to be regional balance in terms of the allocation of franchises & a market to back it. On that front, I see temporary saturation. Yes, northeast and central India make a case but that must wait for now. (3/25)

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KSR

@KShriniwasRao

Dec 24, 2021

#HarbhajanSingh

The first time I ever interviewed a cricketer from the Indian team. This is 2001, just before the start of the historic India-Australia Test series.

Harbhajan was part of the President's XI in a warm-up game with the Aussies in Nagpur.

(Cont'd)

Bhajji had made his Test debut in 1998 but that "big break" hadn't come. 2001 made him the cricketer he became.

The team arrived for a net session & me (left in the pic) and a journalist from Asian Age (a very good friend for 20 yrs now) went looking for a story.

(Cont'd)

I requested Harbhajan if he could speak about the Aussies, and what kind of a challenge they were going to be. He obliged.

It was a great Aussie team but my question was, who did Harbhajan see as the most dangerous batsmen of them all, regardless of all the big names.

(Cont'd)

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