TV

790 days ago

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ICC WTC Final 2023 Between India and Australia Becomes The Most Watched Test Match In Star Sports History

Mumbai, June 22 - The final of the World Test Championship between India and Australia has been a massive hit on television as it delivered the all-time highest viewership for a Test match on Star Sports, according to the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). ## As per BARC (via Adgully.com), 124 million viewers tuned in to watch the live broadcast of ICC WTC Final 2023, the highest ever reach garnered for any test match and 32% higher than the previous ICC WTC Final 2021 between India and New Zealand. ## Not only that, but Star Sports has also clocked an impressive 14.4 billion minutes of watch time for live broadcast, surpassing the billion minutes garnered for the previous edition of ICC WTC Final and any other test match in history.## A Star Sports Spokesperson said, "We are proud to achieve yet another milestone for Cricket viewership with the ICC World Test Championship Final. The overwhelming response from fans is a testament to our relentless efforts to enhance accessibility to Cricket and foster a deeper passion for the game.## "Star Sports' exceptional marketing campaigns, unparalleled coverage standards, and ground-breaking programming exemplify our unwavering mission to serve sports fans across the country. This record reaffirms our conviction in the growth potential of sports and marquee sporting properties on TV".## This historic viewership on Star Sports comes not long after setting new television viewership records for Indian Premiere League (IPL) 2023. As per BARC data shared by the official broadcaster Disney Star, IPL 2023 recorded 496 million (49.6 crores) viewership till the play-off stage on Star Sports, breaking the previous record set during IPL 2020.## Meanwhile, Australia emerged as the winner of the ICC WTC 2023, becoming the only country in the world to win the ICC tournament in all the formats. ## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1091 days ago

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Cheteshwar Pujara Sets His Eyes Win World Test Championship For India

London, August 25 - Team India's star Test batter Cheteshwar Pujara is having an excellent time in England where he has been the performer in the County Championship 2022 and Royal London One-Day Cup 2022 so far. ## Pujara is captaining the Sussex side which will play the Semi-Final match of Royal London tournament on August 30, in-between, Pujara got some time off to interact with his fans on Twitter. During a fun Twitter session yesterday (August 24), the number 3 batter of the Indian Test side took questions from his fans about his recent success and other stuff. ## Since Pujara is playing only Test cricket as far as the international matches are concerned, the biggest tournament for him is the ICC World Test Championship. One of the fans asked him what are his goals in his remaining career. ## The question read, "What are your goals for the rest of your career?", To which, Pujara gave a measured answer while also revealing his dream goal. "I like being in present and don't set too many goals for the future but winning the WTC title is one", he replied.## I like being in present and don't set too many goals for the future but winning the WTC title is one https://t.co/bOe2VsfkUX— Cheteshwar Pujara (@cheteshwar1) August 24, 2022 ## Meanwhile, talking about Pujara's performance in Country season 2022, he is currently the second highest run-getter with 1094 runs in 13 innings in Division Two. He has the highest average of 109.40 and is the only batter with a 100+ average this season. Apart from that, he has also scored 5 hundred. ## On the other hand, in the Royal London Cup 2022, Pujara is again the second-best batter with 614 runs in 8 matches at 102.33 average, again highest, and the strike rate of 116.29, which is unlike Pujara. On top of that, he has also scored 3 hundred, playing a massive role in helping Sussex to reach Semi-Final. ## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1473 days ago

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ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 - Points Table

Check out the World Test Championship 2021-23 points table. The top two teams, who will play the final at the Lord's will be decided according to the percentage of points won by a team. Standings SNTeamSeries PlayedMatchesWonLostDrawnPointsPCT (%) 1. Australia (Q) 6 19 11 3 5 150 66.67 2. India (Q) 6 18 10 5 3 127 58.80 3. South Africa 6 15 8 6 1 72 55.56 4. England 6 22 10 8 4 124 46.97 5. Sri Lanka 6 12 5 6 1 64 44.44 6. New Zealand 6 13 4 6 3 60 38.46 7. Pakistan 6 14 4 6 4 64 38.10 8. West Indies 6 13 4 7 2 54 34.62 9. Bangladesh 6 12 1 10 1 16 11.11 ## WTC Points Distribution Explained -## In the WTC 2021-23 format, each team will play six series (3 Home, 3 Away). Departing from a system where every series carried 120 points, the teams in WTC2 will now get 12 points for a win, 6 points for a tie, and 4 points for a draw. Rankings in WTC 2 will be determined by the percentage of points won.## 2-match series - Win/Tie/Draw - 12/6/4 | Total points - 24## 3-match series - Win/Tie/Draw - 12/6/4 | Total points - 36## 4-match series - Win/Tie/Draw - 12/6/4 | Total points - 48## 5-match series - Win/Tie/Draw - 12/6/4 | Total points - 60## Follow for more...

Cricket

1497 days ago

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Each Test In WTC 2021-23 To Carry Same Points Weightage As ICC Confirms Points Structure For Next WTC Cycle

Mumbai, July 15, 2021: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed the points structure for the 2021-23 World Test Championship cycle. Departing from a system where every series carried 120 points, the teams in WTC2 will now get 12 points for a win, 6 points for a tie, and 4 points for a draw. ## Same as the first WTC, the top 9 teams in the ICC ranking will play 6 series each: 3 home and 3 away, with the teams' rankings in WTC 2 will be determined by the percentage of points won. The championship will kick-off from August with England taking on the runner-up of WTC 1, India in the 5-match series. ## "We received feedback that the previous points system needed to be simplified", the ICC's acting chief executive Geoff Allardice said in a statement. "The Cricket Committee took this into consideration when proposing a new, standardized points system for each match. It maintained the principle of ensuring that all matches in a WTC series count towards a team's standing while accommodating series varying in length between two Tests and five Tests". ## "During the pandemic, we had to change to ranking teams on the points table using the percentage of available points won by each team, since all series could not be completed. This helped us determine the finalists and we were able to complete the championship within the scheduled time frame. This method also allowed us to compare the relative performance of teams at any time, regardless of how many matches they had played", he added. ## Day-night matches can be included in a series by participating teams but four-day Test matches won't be a part of the championship. Teams will lose one championship point for every over they are found short.## Stay tuned...

Kollywood

1504 days ago

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After WTC Final, Thala Ajith's Valimai Craze Reaches To Euro 2020

Chennai, July 8, 2021: Ajith Kumar's upcoming film, Valimai, is no doubt one of the most-awaited Indian films. The H. Vinoth directorial was launched in 2019 and the shooting was going on with full swing, but then, the covid-19 pandemic happened, and like the rest of all, the Valimai shoot was also put on hold. ## After lockdown restrictions were lifted, Thala Ajith resumed shoot in October last and till February 2021, the film's shooting was wrapped, barring the foreign schedule. However, due to the second wave of covid-19, the last schedule couldn't go ahead as planned and makers were again left with no choice but to wait for the situation to get better. ## And now, as per the latest reports, the makers are planning a small schedule in Hyderabad before flying abroad to wrap up the movie. The expectations for the film are pre-eminent, and fans not only in India but also across the world are waiting for the film's release. For a long time now, Thala Ajith's fans are demanding an update regarding the first look poster or release plans. ## Recently, Thala Ajith's fans were seen holding a board asking for a Valimai update during the ICC World Test Championship Final between India and New Zealand, in Southampton, England. It was the first instance when the Valimai craze was seen at the international level. ## The craze, however, is getting bigger and bigger with each passing day. On Wednesday night (July 7), the Valimai mania hit the global stage again when one of the fans was seen demanding an update on the film during the second semi-final of EURO2020 between England and Denmark. This shows how much Ajith fans eagerly want to watch the film once it releases. ## Unprecedented Craze levels 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥After cricket... now at #EURO2020 too ! 🎉💖#ValimaiUpdate #Valimai #வலிமைதிருவிழா #வலிமை #ThalaAjith #AjithKumar #BoneyKapoor @BoneyKapoor pic.twitter.com/t98J4ZS882— Girish Johar (@girishjohar) July 8, 2021 ## Meanwhile, the fans' wait is going to be worth it as makers are now planning to release the first look motion poster on July 15. They had earlier planned to unveil the first look on Ajith Kumar's birthday on May 1st, but due to the covid-19 situation, they postponed it. ## Produced by Boney Kapoor under the banner Bayview Projects LLP, Valimai also stars Huma Qureshi, Pearle Maaney, and Kartikeya Gummakonda. The film's music is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, whilst cinematography is performed by Nirav Shah. The makers are reportadly planning to release the film on Diwali this in multiple languages. ## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1519 days ago

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'The People's Champions', Cricket Fraternity Lauds New Zealand On Winning Inaugural ICC World Test Championship

Southampton, June 23, 2021: After coming second on two back-to-back occasions in ODI World Cups in 2015, and 2019, New Zealand finally got their hands on the ICC trophy. The number one Test side in the world beat India by 8 wickets in a rain-affected six-day inaugural World Test Championship final at Southampton to clinch an ICC title after 21 years. ## Reacting to the same, the cricket fraternity took to social media and congratulate New Zealand on the ultimate glory. ## THEY'VE DONE IT! Ross Taylor hits the winnings runs and the BLACKCAPS win the ICC World Test Championship FINAL by eight wickets over India at the Hampshire Bowl. New Zealand's ultimate duo do it in the ultimate Test! #WTC21 #BACKTHEBLACKCAPS pic.twitter.com/hUmEi3fB9v— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) June 23, 2021 ## Congrats @BLACKCAPS on winning the #WTC21. You were the superior team.#TeamIndia will be disappointed with their performance.As I had mentioned the first 10 overs will be crucial & 🇮🇳 lost both Kohli & Pujara in the space of 10 balls & that put a lot of pressure on the team. pic.twitter.com/YVwnRGJXXr— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 23, 2021 ## A contest worthy to be called a Final.The pendulum kept swinging both ways throughout the game but it was NZ who showed why they are the number 1 test side.Congratulations to the @blackcaps!Well played #TeamIndia, proud today and always! @bcci#WTCFinal #INDvNZ— DK (@DineshKarthik) June 23, 2021 ## Humility, hard work, dedication to the team and the fans. World champions in so many ways.Gather ye rose buds while ye may..........@BLACKCAPS pic.twitter.com/475Q3wz4mg— Grant Elliott (@grantelliottnz) June 23, 2021 ## Congratulations @BLACKCAPS. Quality performance. Deserved win 👏🏻— Sir Vivian Richards (@ivivianrichards) June 23, 2021 ## You cannot thank @BCCI enough for their commitment to test cricket and the way they leading our favourite format into the future.@BLACKCAPS congrats, the people’s champions! #TestCricket #BCCI #IndiaVsNewZealand #WTC2021Final— Graeme Smith (@GraemeSmith49) June 23, 2021 ## Missed being 50-over champions 2 years ago in the same country, but winning the inaugural World test Championship in style, many congratulations @BLACKCAPS , absolutely worthy champions. Happy for Kane Williamson and @RossLTaylor #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/TNnkLvaMsO— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) June 23, 2021 ## Congrats NZ on #WTC21 win. Their bowling had so much variety and no visible weak link. The colour of clothes and ball might change, but NZ's consistency is admirable. @BLACKCAPS— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) June 23, 2021 ## Congratulations NEW ZEALAND winning the test championship final .Absolutely top class effort from team India from last 2 years and being in the final . 👍👍👍@BLACKCAPS @BCCI 🙌🏻🙏— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) June 23, 2021 ## Good guys don’t always finish last….New Zealand have finally ended the two-decade ICC trophy drought. Even-stevens in the first innings but totally outplayed India in the second innings. Well done, 🇳🇿 #WTCFinal— Wear a Mask. Stay Safe, India (@cricketaakash) June 23, 2021 ## So proud of this group of men. 5 years ago this result would have been unimaginable. Enjoy tonight lads! @blackcaps— Jimmy Neesham (@JimmyNeesh) June 23, 2021 ## Congratulations @BLACKCAPS !!!A small nation but what a great one. 👏👏👏 #WTC— Brendan Taylor (@BrendanTaylor86) June 23, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1541 days ago

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ICC Champions Trophy To Return After 8 Years As ICC Announces Next Cycle Of FTP

Mumbai, June 1, 2021: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the return of the Champions Trophy which was scrapped after the 2017 edition won by Pakistan, in the next cycle of the Future Tours Programme. The eight-year cycle of the FTP starting from 2024 to 2031, will mark the return of the Champions Trophy after 8 years in 2025. ## The World Cricket Body has also approved 14 teams for the 50-over World Cup and 20 teams for the Twenty20 World Cup. The decisions were taken by the all-powerful executive board meeting of the ICC, which was held virtually on Tuesday (June 1). ## In the 50-over world cup, ICC has decided to follow the 2003 world cup format. The 14 teams will be split into two groups with the top three from each group making it to the Super Six. The four best teams will then proceed to the semi-final followed by the final. A total of 54 matches will be held in the ODI World Cup in 2027 and 2031. ## The T20 World Cup will see the 20 teams split into four groups with the top two teams from each group progressing to the next stage - the Super Eight - which will then be followed by the semifinals and the final. Four T20 World Cups have been scheduled to be held in 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030, will comprise 55 matches each. ## The ICC has also confirmed that the World Test Championship Final will be played in 2025, 2027, 2029, and in 2031. The hosts of the 12 ICC tournaments for the Men's events will be finalized in September this year with the selection process getting underway this month. ## "Having the ICC event schedule confirmed through to 2031 is a significant step forward for cricket and will form the basis of our growth strategy for the next decade", ICC Acting Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said. "The revised approach to selecting hosts for our events will give us much more flexibility to grow the game and engage new fans.## "There is a smaller pool of countries with the infrastructure needed to host our senior Men's events which narrows the selection process. Additionally, many of our members expressed interest in hosting Women's and U19 events which gives us a great opportunity to stage events in established and emerging cricket nations". ## Have a look at the ICC men's tournaments in the next cycle of FTP (2024-31) -## 2024 - T20 World Cup (20 teams and 55 matches)## 2025 - Champions Trophy (8 teams and 15 matches)## 2025 - World Test Championship final (2 teams and 1 match)## 2026 - T20 World Cup (20 teams and 55 matches)## 2027 - ODI World Cup (14 teams and 54 matches)## 2027 - World Test Championship final (2 teams and 1 match)## 2028 - T20 World Cup (20 teams and 55 matches)## 2029 - Champions Trophy (8 teams and 15 matches)## 2029 - World Test Championship final (2 teams and 1 match)## 2030 - T20 World Cup (20 teams and 55 matches)## 2031 - ODI World Cup (14 teams and 54 matches)## 2031 - World Test Championship final (2 teams and 1 match)## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1566 days ago

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Jasprit Bumrah, And Ravindra Jadeja Return As BCCI Announces Team India Squad For WTC Final And England Tests

New Delhi, May 7, 2021: Pacer Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja returned to the Indian Test squad as the All-India Senior Selection Committee picked the squads for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final and the five-match Test series against England.## Speedster Mohammad Shami also returned to the 20-member squad while all-rounder Hardik Pandya and hard-hitting opener Prithvi Shaw have been left out. The squad has three opening options in Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Mayank Agarwal along with KL Rahul - subject to fitness clearance.## The selectors have also named Wriddhiman Saha as the second keeper - once again subject to fitness clearance after he was one of the players who contracted the Coronavirus just before the suspension of IPL 2021. Hanuma Vihari, who missed the home Tests against England, also back in the squad. ## India's squad - Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane (VC), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance).## Standby players - Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla## Schedule - ## 18th – 22nd June WTC Final vs NZ, Southampton## 4th – 8th August 1st Test vs England, Nottingham## 12th – 16th August 2nd Test vs England, London (Lord's)## 25th – 29th August 3rd Test vs England, Leeds## 2nd – 6th September 4th Test vs England, London (Oval)## 10th – 14th September 5th Test vs England, Manchester## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1628 days ago

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ICC World Test Championship 2019-21: India To Clash With New Zealand In WTC Final At Lord's

Team India led by Virat Kohli have booked their place in the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2019-21 which is scheduled to be played against New Zealand at Lord's from June 18 to 22 this year. With brilliant performances from Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Ravichandran Ashwin in the 4th and final Test at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, India defeated England by an innings and 25 runs and win the 4-match series with a 3-1 scoreline. ## India will play the final against New Zealand who had directly qualified for the final after Australia canceled their tour of South Africa due to the covid-19 pandemic. India topped the ICC WTC Points Table with 520 points out of 720 which makes 72.20%. New Zealand, on the other hand, couldn't play all the scheduled series due to the pandemic but managed enough to book the final spot. The Kane Williamson side won 70% of the points they played and finished after India in the points table. ## Team Standings After India-England Series In WTC 2019-21 SNTeamsSeries PlayedPts ContestedPts WonPts % 1. India (Q) 6 720 520 72.20 2. New Zealand (Q) 5 600 420 70.00 3. Australia 4 480 332 69.20 4. England 6 720 442 61.38 5. Pakistan 5.5 660 286 43.30 6. West Indies 4 480 160 33.33 7. South Africa 4 480 144 30.00 8. Sri Lanka 4 480 80 16.70 9. Bangladesh 2.5 300 0 0 ## Going into the 4-match series against England, India needed to win the series with the scoreline of either 2-0, or 2-1, or 3-0, or 3-1, or 4-0 to be eligible to play the final. England, however, has had a tough task as they needed to win at least 3 Tests to play the final which they couldn't. In the case of a series draw, Australia would have made it to the final because of the higher point percentage. ## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1735 days ago

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World Test Championship: Percentage of Points To Decide Final WTC Standings

The final standings in the ongoing World Test Championship will now be decided by the percentage of points won by a team, the ICC announced on Thursday (November 19).## As per the new standings, Australia has leapfrogged India and moved to the top spot in the World Test Championship table. Australia has a points percentage of 0.822, while India with a points percentage of 0.75 has moved down to No. 2.## The ICC board has approved the recommendation from the ICC Cricket Committee, headed by Anil Kumble, which suggested the change in the points system considering that several series have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.## Current Standings: SNTeamsSeries PlayedPts ContestedPts WonPts % 1. Australia 3 360 296 82.22 2. India 4 480 360 75 3. England 4 480 292 60.83 4. New Zealand 3 360 180 50 5. Pakistan 3.5 420 166 39.52 6. Sri Lanka 2 240 80 33.33 7. West Indies 2 240 40 16.67 8. South Africa 2 240 24 10 9. Bangladesh 2.5 180 0 0 ## "Both the Cricket Committee and Chief Executives Committee supported the approach of ranking teams based on completed matches and points earned as this reflects their performance and doesn't disadvantage teams that have been unable to compete all of their matches through no fault of their own", said ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney.## "We explored a whole range of options, but our members felt strongly that we should proceed as planned with the first-ever World Test Championship Final in June next year", he added.## Stay tuned...

Cricket

2095 days ago

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ICC World Test Championship 2019-21 - Points Table

Check out the World Test Championship's points table. The top two teams, who will play the final at the Lord's will be decided according to the percentage of points won by a team. ## Final Standings: SNTeamsSeries PlayedPts ContestedPts WonPts % 1. India 6 720 520 72.20 2. New Zealand 5 600 420 70.00 3. Australia 4 480 332 69.20 4. England 6 720 442 61.38 5. Pakistan 5.5 660 286 43.30 6. West Indies 5 600 200 33.33 7. South Africa 4 480 144 30.00 8. Sri Lanka 6 720 200 27.80 9. Bangladesh 3.5 420 20 4.80 ## * indicates ongoing series ## WTC Points Distribution Explained ## In the WTC format, each team will play six series (3 Home, 3 Away). Each series will carry 120 points which will be distributed evenly depending on the number of matches. In the case of Tie, the points will be distributed evenly while in a draw situation, points will be distributed in a 3:1 ratio.## 2-match series - Win/Tie/Draw - 60/30/20 ## 3-match series - Win/Tie/Draw - 40/20/13 ## 4-match series - Win/Tie/Draw - 30/15/10 ## 5-match series - Win/Tie/Draw - 24/12/8 ## Click here for FAQs about WTC## Follow for more...

Cricket

2191 days ago

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The Games Are Going To Be Much More Competitive - Virat Kohli

After sweeping both the T20I series and ODI series, Virat Kohli led Team India will now meet West Indies in two-match Test series which will be a first real challenge for both the teams under World Test Championship.## India won easily both T20I (3-0) and ODI (2-0) series against West Indies. But as the Test series is set to begin from tomorrow (22 August), it is supposed to be more challenging and competitive as West Indies have been in some lethal form especially in bowling department in red-ball cricket in recent time. Captain Virat Kohli also believes that arrival of the Test Championship will make matches even more competitive.## "The games are going to be much more competitive and it brings a lot of purpose to the Test matches you play. It's the right move and at the absolute right time," said Kohli. "People have been talking about Test cricket not being relevant, or dying. For me, the competition has gone up two-fold in the last couple of years. It's up to the players to take the challenge and go for victories. That's going to be the essence of this Test championship as well. There will hardly be any boring draws, there will be exciting draws because everyone will want those extra points. ## India is number one side in Test cricket for some time now. During this period, they beat Australia in Australia for the first time. However, India went on to lose against England and South Africa. Kohli admitted that the batsmen have not lived up to their standards that cost them the series loss against England and South Africa.## "Well, if I have to be brutally honest, I don't think us batsmen have lived up to the standard. We have traveled a lot over the past year and a half and it's been challenging. We lost in England but won in Australia because the batsmen pulled up. As much as individuals stand out, I think it's about batting well as a team and every team wants to put up a strong total on the board for the bowlers to come in and capitalize." ## The inaugural edition of the World Test Championship is already underway with England facing off against Australia in the five-match Ashes series while Sri Lanka is playing two Tests against New Zealand at home. India however, will start the Test series as favorites but since Windies are playing at home and also their bowlers are in good form, India wouldn't want to take the home side lightly. ## The first of the two-match series will be played at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua from August 22 to 26 while the second match is scheduled to play at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica from August 30 to September 3.## Follow for more...