Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...
I Dig Sports

I Dig Sports

Moeen Ali has ended a difficult week in India on an unequivocal high, after being picked up for Rs 7 crore (US$959,000) by Chennai Super Kings at the IPL auction.

The price tag is almost four times the figure that Royal Challengers Bangalore (Rs 1.7 crore; US$265,000) paid for Moeen in 2018, and marks an immediate return to the tournament after he was released by RCB at the end of the 2020 season.

Having entered the auction at a base price of Rs 2 crore (US$274,000), Moeen was the subject of significant interest from the newly rebranded Punjab Kings before being secured by CSK, where he will link up with his fellow England allrounder Sam Curran.

CSK are in the progress of a rebuilding phase, after failing to reach the IPL play-offs for the first time in the competition's history, and the signing of Moeen came after they had narrowly missed out on the services of his fellow spin-bowling allrounder, Glenn Maxwell, who was picked up by Moeen's old franchise, RCB, for Rs 14.25 crore (US$1.95million)

L Balaji, CSK's bowling coach, said of the signing: "We were focusing on an allrounder and power-hitting. Moeen is a good buy. He is handy with the ball and also can bat in the top order. [Shane] Watson gave us that flexibility in the top order. Now Moeen gives us depth and the option of a dual role - [I'm] 100% sure he'll fill in what we're looking at."

Moeen's IPL credentials are likely to have been enhanced by his performance in the second Test against India at the Chepauk Stadium this week, where he claimed eight wickets in the match - his first Test appearance for 18 months - then signed off with an explosive cameo of 43 from 18 balls in the final moments of India's 317-run win.

Either way, Moeen's involvement in the tournament is a boost to his prospects of playing a major role in England's T20 World Cup campaign, which is also due to be staged in India at the end of the year. Moeen was part of the squad that toured South Africa in December, but was left out for all three T20Is as England opted to field a single frontline spinner.

Though he has been named in England's T20I squad for their five-match series against India next month, Moeen's departure from the Test squad this week attracted controversy when it was implied by Joe Root, England's captain, that he had "chosen" to go home rather than compete for a place in the final two Tests, with the series currently locked at 1-1.

Root subsequently apologised to Moeen, as did England's head coach Chris Silverwood, who acknowledged that a request had been put in for Moeen to stay on tour, but that his absence from the Ahmedabad Tests had been decided by the ECB in advance, in accordance with their rest and rotation policy.

The request had been put in by England as a consequence of Moeen's disrupted winter schedule. He contracted Covid-19 on arrival in Sri Lanka in January and was required to spend a fortnight in quarantine, as a consequence of which he missed both Tests at Galle as well as England's victory in the first Test against India in Chennai.

Moeen's reluctance to accede to England's request stemmed in part from the prospect of him picking up a new IPL contract, which would have meant a stretch of five months away from his young family, with the tournament due to end in the first week of June.

To date, Moeen has played 19 IPL games for RCB, scoring 309 runs at a strike rate of 158.46, and taking 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.14.

Moeen was the star attraction among English players in the opening rounds of the auction. Dawid Malan, ranked the world's No. 1 T20I batsman by the ICC, was signed by Punjab Kings for Rs 150 lakh (US$204,000), while Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Sam Billings and Adil Rashid were all unsold at the first time of asking. Mark Wood withdrew from the auction on Wednesday.

Top seed Novak Djokovic overcame stern resistance from Aslan Karatsev to reach the Australian Open final and end the Russian qualifier's remarkable run.

Despite the world number 114 causing moments of tension, Djokovic had enough quality to win 6-3 6-4 6-2.

The 33-year-old Serb won the final four games to finally shrug off Karatsev.

Djokovic, who is going for a record-extending ninth title in Melbourne, will face either Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday's final.

Russian fourth seed Medvedev meets Greek fifth seed Tsitsipas in the other semi-final on Friday, with both men trying to reach their first Australian Open final.

Neither player has won a major title yet and will face an opponent in Djokovic who is bidding for an 18th Grand Slam to close the gap on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

More to follow.

Wales international Josh Navidi and former England flanker James Haskell are among rugby figures calling for reform to protect players' wellbeing.

A group called Progressive Rugby want changes to tackle the issue of serious head and brain injury.

In an open letter to World Rugby, the group says more should also be done to inform parents about the risk of brain injury from repeated head knocks.

World Rugby say many of the proposals were already being actioned.

"The welfare of the global rugby family is, and has always been, World Rugby's priority. We take our responsibility very seriously and care deeply about our past, present and future players," said the sport's governing body in a statement.

"That is why we ensure that players are at the heart of our discussions through International Rugby Players, and that is why we value and welcome constructive debate, respect opinions and listen to suggestions that advance welfare.

"We are progressive, which is why as scientific and medical knowledge and societal understanding continues to evolve, rugby evolves with it. We are always guided by medical and scientific consensus to inform our concussion education, prevention and management strategies.

"Clearly these members of our rugby family love the game and want it to be the best it can be. We do too.

"We are encouraged that the group are championing a number of initiatives that are already operational or being considered and we are open to constructive discussions with them regarding their proposals."

In December 2020, nine retired rugby professionals, most of them diagnosed with early onset dementia, began legal action against World Rugby alleging negligence after repetitive head injuries during their careers.

A group of more than 20 players, coaches and doctors, are demanding immediate changes to the way rugby union is played and how laws are enforced, in order to prevent repeated concussion incidents and damaging brain injuries.

Former Canada international Jamie Cudmore, who has had his own considerable difficulties with concussion and former England forward Haskell are among Progressive Rugby's founders.

Haskell said the intensity of physically demanding training sessions should be modified and that players should only be allowed to return to play after concussion when properly assessed and ready he added.

In December 2020, former Wales international Alix Popham was diagnosed with early onset dementia.

The diagnosis pushed him and seven other former rugby union players to start a claim against the game's authorities for negligence.

Since then Progressive Rugby say the lawsuit has grown to more than 150 former players.

Popham said lessons should have been learned from other sports such as American football and Australian Rules football, where action has already been taken.

The group warned that, without immediate changes, the issue was an existential threat to the future of rugby union.

The group are lobbying for a rugby union concussion database, health passports, involvement of independent brain experts alongside sports scientists and limiting the number of substitutions among other things.

"We all love the game of rugby, and want to see it continue in the long-term," said Progressive Rugby's Dr Barry O'Driscoll, a former World Rugby medical advisor.

"However, the game as it is, is broken, with many more players likely to end up with neurological impairments in the future."

World Rugby chairman and former England captain Sir Bill Beaumont wrote an open letter in response to the lawsuit in December 2020, in which he said as "the science continues to evolve" rugby will "evolve with it".

In a statement, Progressive Rugby say they support the physicality of rugby, including tackling in school rugby, but believe "much more can be done to protect current players and future generations".

Progressive Rugby's open letter to World Rugby is signed by Navidi, Haskell, Popham and Cudmore, as well as former players Jonathan Davies, Steve Thompson, Rory Lamont, Tim Stimpson, Kyran Bracken, Geoff Old, John Shaw, Emyr Lewis, Steve Hanley, Catherine Spence, Paul Wallace and Inoke Afeaki.

Teachers from rugby schools Dan Harrison, Chris Hattam and Marc Batten, and medical professionals Dr Rohit Kulkarni, Dr O'Driscoll, Prof John Fairclough and Prof Bill Ribbans have also signed the letter.

Former Welsh Rugby Union chief executive David Moffett, former Ospreys coach Sean Holley, referee coach Antony Kozlowski, referee James Jones and the Chair for All-Party Parliamentary Group for Acquired Brain Injury, Chris Bryant, complete the signatories.

Wenger: UCL changes dilute 'sporting merit'

Published in Soccer
Thursday, 18 February 2021 02:43

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said UEFA's proposed changes to the Champions League do not respect the "sporting merit" of Europe's elite club competition.

UEFA's plans would see a "single table" with 36 teams replace the group stage format, which features eight groups of four. The changes mean there would be 225 matches in the competition, up from the current 125.

- Stream FC Daily on ESPN+

"The model that is proposed for the modern Champions League, I don't like it at all," Wenger, now FIFA's head of global development, told BeIN Sports.

"The clubs always want more money. To get more money, they want more guaranteed games. The fans want more games of significance.

"Modern football has to find a compromise between what the clubs and fans want."

Europe's top leagues, including the Premier League, want UEFA to reconsider the plans amid concerns over fixture congestion.

"As long as we in the game don't respect the sporting merit in a logical way, we are not right," he said. "All people who play top-level competition would say you have to keep the merit of the quality of your performance."

Kneeling before games is 'degrading' - Zaha

Published in Soccer
Thursday, 18 February 2021 02:43

Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha has said that taking a knee before every game is "degrading" and called for tangible change instead of being used to "tick boxes."

Zaha, who has been targeted by online racial abuse, told the On The Judy podcast that action needs to come from the social media platforms.

- Hislop: Football is ideal vehicle to drive social change
- Stream Show Racism The Red Card on ESPN+

"The whole kneeling down -- why must I kneel down for you to show that we matter," he said. "Why must I even wear Black Lives Matter on the back of my top to show you that we matter? This is all degrading stuff.

"When people constantly want to get me to do Black Lives Matter talks and racial talks and I'm like, I'm not doing it just so you can put 'Zaha spoke for us.' Like a tick box, basically.

"I'm not doing any more, because unless things change, I'm not coming to chat to you just for the sake of it, like all the interviews I've done.

"All these platforms -- you see what's happening, you see people making fake accounts to abuse black people constantly, but you don't change it.

"So don't tell me to come and chat about stuff that's not going to change. Change it.

"All that stuff that you lot are doing, all these charades mean nothing."

The Premier League and the English Football Association joined forces with other footballing bodies earlier this month and wrote to social media companies after a rise in online abuse aimed at footballers on their platforms.

Manchester United forward Anthony Martial received racist abuse online again after his side came from a goal down to draw 1-1 with West Brom on Sunday.

Marcus Rashford, Lauren James, Reece James and Alex Jankewitz are among the other players who have received racist abuse.

As we embark on the SheBelieves Cup, 2021 edition, we knew it would look different from the 2020 version. And, let's be honest, it's impossible to live up to that 2020 version, which literally squeaked in its last USWNT game vs. Japan on March 11, the day the sporting world came to a screeching halt. So here we are, almost one year later -- yes, it has felt like FIVE -- and instead of teams like England, Spain and Japan, this edition involves Canada (minus seven of its stars), Brazil (coached by Pia Sundhage ... yes, that Pia Sundhage), and Argentina (because Japan pulled out due to COVID-19 concerns).

It's not the standard of teams we've seen in previous years, but I'm just impressed that U.S. Soccer is able to pull off a SheBelieves Cup at all.

- Sam Mewis out of SheBelieves Cup with injury
- Morgan, Press return for USWNT in SheBelieves Cup
- Trinity Rodman ready to make own legacy in women's soccer

With so much to discuss, where do we begin? Let's start by assessing the U.S. team after a full year of COVID-19 reshaping our lives, and with the Olympics just five months away ... assuming the Olympics actually happen.

I would say the U.S. is the favorite to win the Olympic Games. By a mile. Yes, I said a mile. That is remarkable, really, given all the challenges of getting consistent games in the United States this past year. How is that possible, you ask? Rest, mentality, depth -- in that order.

Rest: The delay of the Olympics will mean this team was able to rest and recover. All of that under a normal timetable would be impossible. I think it is why no women's team has ever won a World Cup and then won the Olympics the next year; ultimately, it's too tight a turn for the victors. This delay could be huge for the U.S. overall -- just ask Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe.

Mentality: This U.S. team always finds a way, pandemic be damned. They will find a way to train, compete, grow and minimize the downside of a pandemic. You saw it against the Dutch in the November victory to close out 2020, which was basically the USWNT's first real game during quarantine, then again in the two victories against Colombia in January friendlies. The first game was a 4-0 win for the U.S., and the second was a 6-0 win.

It was a depleted Colombian team, yes, but it also gave USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski a chance to look at some of his younger players, namely Catarina Macario -- who recently received clearance from FIFA to play for the U.S. instead of her native Brazil. And, let's just say Macario looked like she belonged.

Depth: For the three games in the SheBelieves Cup, the U.S. will still not be at full force due to injuries (Tobin Heath and Sam Mewis) and clubs unwilling to release their players (Alana Cook at PSG). But even at reduced force, the U.S. is overflowing with options and has the gift of a deep roster.

Alex Morgan is back. Post-pregnancy, post-knee injury, post-Tottenham loan and post-coronavirus diagnosis, she is back and, as you can imagine, eager to play. Also back playing and looking good are Lloyd and Rapinoe. Both missed most of 2020 due to injuries and time away. By all accounts, these two stars came back to the January friendlies reinvigorated, fit and, most importantly, hungry.

Christen Press is also back, after missing the January friendlies as a result of an extended illness (not related to COVID-19) while in England for Manchester City. Kristie Mewis wants to prove that 2021 can be as magical as 2020, and we've already mentioned how good Macario looked. Add in another youngster on the radar, Sophia Smith, the Stanford star who went as the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NWSL draft. She will get a good look in the SheBelieves Cup tournament.

In terms of the competition, Canada is sadly missing some of its biggest stars due to injury (Christine Sinclair, Erin McLeod, Diana Matheson and Bianca St-Georges) and clubs not releasing them (Kadeisha Buchanan, Jordyn Huitema and Ashley Lawrence), which is a bummer. But I must admit, I am most looking forward to the Pia Sundhage matchup with Brazil. Can Pia transform a Brazilian team that has always been the bridesmaid? Can she bring them that long-awaited first gold medal at the world level?

I think it's too little, too late myself for Brazil, but it does make for a compelling story. At a minimum, I do hope Pia will pull out her guitar, strum a few notes, serenade us and make the world right again. I don't think that's too much to ask.

Maybe the SheBelieves Cup 2021 is exactly what we need to kick us back into normalcy. It was, after all, the last bit of normal we had before the world turned on its head. So, 2021, let's start living up to your potential.

How the Premier League title race swung for Man City

Published in Soccer
Thursday, 18 February 2021 00:14

It has been one of the most open and unpredictable seasons in Premier League history. Nine different teams have been top at various points in the campaign, all of the big clubs have suffered unexpected defeats, and every side in the top 10 still has a chance of qualifying for the Champions League. But as the season heads into its final third, Manchester City have emerged from the pack to take control and establish a vice-like grip on top spot.

Uncertainty seems to have been banished at the Etihad Stadium, with Pep Guardiola's team becoming the first English side to win 17 consecutive games in all competitions, outscoring opponents 46-6 over that span. They also broke Man United's Premier League record of nine consecutive wins to open the calendar year, beating Everton 3-1 on Wednesday night for their 10th victory in 2021.

In November, City dropped to 11th in the table, eight points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur, after a 2-0 defeat away to Jose Mourinho's team. They seemed to be in crisis, having made their worst start a season in more than 10 years. But three months on, they are 10 points clear at the top, with 14 games remaining, and are on course for a quadruple.

How has the Premier League been turned on its head in such a short period of time? It's not just about what City have done; their surge back to the top is as much down to the failings of others as the improvement of Guardiola's team. Here are seven factors behind the "end" of the title race for 2020-21.

1. Man City's defensive renaissance

Following that 2-0 defeat at Spurs, City's goals-against column read 11 conceded in eight games. Having scored just 10 themselves, Guardiola's side were in the unfamiliar situation of having a negative goal difference. So Guardiola made a change, bringing in John Stones in place of Aymeric Laporte to partner Ruben Dias at centre-half, and City haven't looked back since.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- ESPN+ viewer's guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more

Stones has struggled for form and fitness during the past two seasons at City and looked to be heading for the exit door. Laporte and Dias had been Guardiola's anticipated defensive double act, but Laporte has since been unable to reclaim his place -- starting three times at centre-half in the league since the Spurs defeat -- with Stones and Dias building a formidable partnership. Since that loss, Stones and Dias have played together 13 times in the league and City have conceded just three goals in that run.

Every title-winning team needs to have a reliable defence, and City now have that thanks to Stones and Dias.

2. Gundogan's goals

Ilkay Gundogan has often divided opinion among City supporters. Many fans regard the Germany midfielder as too passive and negative in possession, while others value his ability to keep the ball and provide a reliable launch pad for the team's numerous attacking talents. But the 30-year-old has been given a more advanced role by Guardiola this season, deviating from his old position in defensive midfield. The result has been a run of goals, with Gundogan scoring more in the Premier League (11) than any other player in the division since the beginning of December.

Remarkably, he's City's leading scorer in the Premier League, and his goals have more than made up for drop in output by Kevin De Bruyne, who had scored just three prior to his latest injury. Gundogan's goal streak has coincided with City's winning run, with his brace in the 4-1 win at Liverpool perhaps the most important.

3. Liverpool's Anfield anguish

When Roberto Firmino headed in a 90th-minute winner for Liverpool against Spurs at Anfield on Dec. 16, it seemed to be a pivotal result in the title race. Spurs started the game as league leaders, but the defending champions claimed a 2-1 win and it sent them top, eight points clear of eighth-placed City. But since that win, Liverpool have been in relegation form at Anfield, failing to win any of their five Premier League games on home soil.

A 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion was followed by a goal-less stalemate against Manchester United, but at least their unbeaten Anfield run, dating back to April 2017, was still intact. Yet even that 68-game unbeaten league streak at home was ended with a 1-0 loss to Burnley, with Brighton & Hove Albion and City both winning at Anfield since to prove it's no longer an impregnable fortress.

By collecting just two points from a possible 15 at Anfield since mid-December, Liverpool have made it easy for City to leave them trailing in their wake.

4. Tottenham, Mourinho also fall away

Remember when Tottenham were threatening to win their first league title since 1961? Maybe not, but it was only two months ago that Mourinho's team were top of the table having gone unbeaten since the opening day of the season.

At the time, Spurs had gone 11 games without defeat in the league and recorded wins against Man United, City and Arsenal, but the wheels began to come off during a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Dec. 13, when the home side netted a late equaliser. From that point on, Spurs have banked just 11 points from a possible 33 and dropped out of the top four entirely.

All talk of a title at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has naturally been silenced, with the priority now simply to secure a Champions League spot.

5. De Gea lets United down

Few would have tipped Manchester United to be a serious title contender this season, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team went top in January with a 1-0 win at Burnley and they were still top after the 0-0 draw at Liverpool on Jan. 17. But every team is only as strong as its weakest link, and the prolonged concerns over the reliability of goalkeeper David de Gea have been borne out in recent weeks. The Spain No. 1 proved culpable in the shock 2-1 defeat at home to Sheffield United, and then again thanks to two costly errors during the 3-3 Old Trafford draw against Everton.

De Gea's mistakes in both games arguably cost United five points -- he was not the only player at fault, of course, though his errors were decisive -- and the failure to win those two home fixtures has seen Solskjaer's side fall 10 points behind City after 24 games. They still have to play Guardiola's team at the Etihad in early March, but United's margin for error has evaporated and City have ruthlessly taken advantage.

6. The "two-week COVID break" rant

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp sparked a pre-match war of words with Guardiola ahead of the 4-1 defeat against City by claiming that the leaders had benefited from a "two-week break because of COVID-19" at the end of December.

Klopp's incendiary comments hinged on City's trip to Everton getting postponed on Dec. 28 due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the club's training ground that led to an unspecified number of positive tests. That game was called off just four hours before kickoff, albeit with Everton demanding full disclosure of the information City provided to the Premier League to justify the postponement.

By having the game postponed, City avoided having to play twice in 48 hours after facing Newcastle on Dec. 26, but they were unable to name a full subs bench at Chelsea on Jan. 3 due to the impact of the COVID outbreak. The situation gave City an eight-day break without a game at the end of December -- Liverpool played three games during the same period -- prompting Klopp to bemoan his team's lack of a similar break.

Whether it played in City's favour or not, Guardiola's team have since won 14 straight games in all competitions.

7. Ending the Anfield jinx

City had already claimed top spot in the Premier League before their trip to Liverpool on Feb. 7, but the manner of their 4-1 victory emphasised the growing confidence in Guardiola's squad.

Winning at Anfield ended City's 18-year wait for a victory at Liverpool, and they did it by scoring four goals at the stadium for the first time since 1937. But City also targeted the weaknesses in the Liverpool team by exposing the defensive frailties of full-backs Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and using the pace and movement of Phil Foden to cause disarray in the opposition half.

It was a performance and victory of champions, a swing of the pendulum back towards the Etihad, and the end result showed why Guardiola's team are firmly on course to dethrone Liverpool as kings of the Premier League.

Tamim Iqbal and Russell Domingo were among several Bangladesh cricketers and support staffers to be administered Covid-19 vaccines in Dhaka on Thursday, ahead of the team's departure for New Zealand next week to take part in a limited-overs international series.

Soumya Sarkar was the first to be vaccinated at the Kurmitola General Hospital, followed by Iqbal, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Naim and Taskin Ahmed, followed by the contingent of support staffers - special arrangements had been made for the overseas coaches, since they don't have the Bangladeshi national ID that is mandatory to be eligible for the vaccine. BCB director Jalal Yunus, who will travel with the team, was also among those vaccinated.

Some more of the cricketers who are travelling to New Zealand will be administered the vaccine on February 20, and the BCB will make arrangements for more vaccines to be administered, if needed, after the tour.

Speaking afterwards, Iqbal admitted to being apprehensive about taking the vaccine to start with. "The thing about vaccinations is that if you know how helpful it is for you then I think your fear will go. I will not deny that I was afraid," he said. "I was not sure whether to take it or not. But after talking to the BCB and finding out that it is normal to have symptoms, it made sense to take it."

The Surokkha app was also launched at the same time in the presence of health minister Zahid Maleque and BCB president Nazmul Hassan, and Sarkar was the first to use it.

Ahmed urged people from his country to get the vaccination done at the earliest. "I am feeling quite good after being inoculated," he told Prothom Alo. "There's no physical problem yet. I would like to thank the honourable prime minister and BCB for making it so easily available for us. I urge everyone to be vaccinated. The Surokkha app has also made it a simpler process."

More than one million Bangladeshis have taken the vaccine since the government rolled it out earlier this month.

Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84

A new regional women's T20 tournament has been confirmed by the ECB for the summer of 2021, alongside the return of the 50-over Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy.

The increase in fixtures comes after the ECB awarded 41 full-time domestic contracts at the end of last year, in addition to the 17 centrally contracted England Women players.

The Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy will be played in two blocks, commencing on May 29 and with the final on September 25. Southern Vipers, who won the inaugural competition, will begin their defence against Lightning at the Ageas Bowl, with fixtures on the opening weekend also being played at Headingley, Chelmsford and Bristol.

The middle of the summer will be taken up with the Women's Regional T20, starting on June 26. The eight teams will be split into two groups, playing each other home and away; Finals Day will be held on September 5, with the best-placed group winner going straight into the final, and the other group winner and best-placed runner-up contesting the semi-final.

Northern Diamonds will take on Lightning at Headingley in a local derby to kick off the opening round of the WRT20, with fixtures also staged at Trent Bridge, Edgbaston and Taunton.

The return of a domestic women's T20 tournament comes after the successful Kia Super League was scrapped in 2019 to make way for the Hundred.

"This promises to be a truly memorable summer of cricket for the women's game," Clare Conner, the ECB's managing director of women's cricket, said. "We are not only set to further professionalise the game with more players on full-time contracts than ever before but, crucially, we will showcase our game to more young girls across England and Wales so that they can say cricket is a game for them.

"I am particularly proud that we will continue to move forward with Rachael Heyhoe Flint's name, with everything she represented for women's cricket, firmly entrenched in our journey.

"The launch of women's regional cricket last summer, despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, was another significant step forward for our domestic game. We are now looking forward to seeing those regional teams play twice as much cricket this summer with the addition of the T20 competition."

England Women are scheduled to play two international series this summer, with fixtures - as well as those for the Hundred - still to be confirmed.

Women's Regional T20

Group A: Southern Vipers, Central Sparks, South East Stars, Lightning
Group B: Northern Diamonds, Western Storm, Sunrisers, Thunder

Vivo back as IPL title sponsor for 2021 season

Published in Cricket
Thursday, 18 February 2021 02:37

Vivo has returned as IPL's title sponsor for the 2021 edition after its deal with the BCCI had been suspended for the 2020 edition - "Vivo is back with us," IPL chairman Brijesh Patel announced during his opening address ahead of the 2021 auction in Chennai on Thursday.

The Chinese mobile and technology company had been replaced by Indian online gaming platform Dream11 ahead of last year's tournament, following a public outcry over the tournament's association with the corporate in the aftermath of military clashes at the India-China border in June 2020.

Vivo had bagged the title sponsorship rights for the period of 2017-2022 for approximately US$ 341 million, an extension of their two-year association since 2015. The BCCI had suspended the contract with a one-line statement in August 2020, which read: "The BCCI and Vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd have decided to suspend their partnership for Indian Premier League in 2020."

Following that, a fresh process to bring on board a title sponsor was conducted, in which Dream11 bagged the rights for INR 222 crore (US$ 29.7 million approx. at the time) ahead of a handful of other Indian bidders, including Indian kit sponsor Byju's, which was also in the race.

The title sponsorship forms a key part in the IPL's revenue sharing agreement with the franchises; 50% of the title sponsorship money goes to the eight franchises. It is understood each franchise earns over INR 20 crore (US$ 2.7 million approx.) per year from the title sponsorship.

Dream11 had been an official partner of the IPL since 2018 and continues to be listed as one on the IPL website.

Soccer

Source: City dir. Begiristain to exit at season's end

Source: City dir. Begiristain to exit at season's end

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsManchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain is set to le...

Maguire out for October as Utd injury list grows

Maguire out for October as Utd injury list grows

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsManchester United are set to be without injured defender Harry Magu...

Chicago names ex-USMNT's Berhalter as coach

Chicago names ex-USMNT's Berhalter as coach

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFormer United States men's national team manager Gregg Berhalter ha...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Heat to name court after franchise legend Riley

Heat to name court after franchise legend Riley

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Miami Heat will honor longtime team president Pat Riley by perm...

Wizards' Brogdon undergoes surgery on thumb

Wizards' Brogdon undergoes surgery on thumb

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWashington Wizards point guard Malcolm Brogdon underwent surgery to...

Baseball

Thieves ripped watch off Buehler's arm, cops say

Thieves ripped watch off Buehler's arm, cops say

EmailPrintLOS ANGELES -- Thieves surrounded Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler last...

Padres warn fans about bad behavior in Game 3

Padres warn fans about bad behavior in Game 3

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSAN DIEGO -- The Padres have reminded fans about their zero-toleran...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated