In the wake of a hugely successful first season, the television advertisement rates for the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) are expected to increase by 40 to 50 per cent, say analysts.

The inaugural edition of the Indian cricket board-mooted 20-over tournament had attracted over 20 million viewers, of which 8.2 million were women, they say.The tournament, in which about $2 billion (over Rs 8,400 crore) has been invested already, generated Rs 300 crore in television advertising revenue in its first season.According to market experts, negotiations have already started for the next season. “Advertisers are willing to pay a 50 per cent premium for the next season,” says Yasmin Shah of Alchemy Share and Stock Brokers, a Mumbai-based research firm.Retail chains, direct-to-home (DTH) service providers and infrastructure companies are expected to be the main advertisers, the market sources say.

FMCG companies like ITC, Mother Dairy and Nestle, insurance companies, Pizza Hut and Cipla were the leading advertisers during the first edition of the tournament, which concluded on June 1.The increase in number of viewers had also pushed the television advertisement rates during the first season, which featured eight star-studded teams.

The initial spot sales were sold at Rs 2,00,000 for 10 seconds but it was hiked to Rs 3,00,000 to Rs 3,50,000 for semi-finals and for finals it was sold between Rs 7,00,000 to Rs 10,00,000.It is also learnt that from the next season onwards the franchisees will have one more stream to generate revenues — from the games’ rights. These rights have not been sold as yet. Any revenue generated from the sale of such rights will accrue to the central pool and will be shared equally among the franchisees.

The market experts said the franchise amount collected by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to be around $724 million (over 290 crore), with each of the clubs being sold for $67 to $112 million, depending on the city they represent.Sponsorship rates of the teams are also expected to increase 30 to 40 per cent. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, has eight sponsors and the combined revenue from these was around Rs 350 million.This is expected to increase by 30 to 40 per cent in the coming leagues. The actor bought the team for $75 million.

Aircel, the lead sponsor for India Cements-owned Chennai Super Kings, paid Rs 150 million for sponsorships. This includes cap, leading arm, shirt center and six in–stadia boards out of the total 72 boards.N Srinivasan, vice-chairman and managing director, India Cements, recently had said that the company was convinced that the franchise has gained value and brand recognition throughout the country through the IPL.

The company has achieved a level of recognition in the last six months that none of its competitors in the cement industry has received.

Source: business-standard.com

ISLAMABAD: Renowned Indian actor Shahrukh Khan has inked agreement with Young Pakistani All-rounder Yasir Arafat to represent Kolkata Knight Rider in next season of Indian Premier League (IPL) while Pakistan Cricket Board has also shown green signal to Yasir Arafat in this respect.

Sources closed to Yasir Arfat told this agency, Indian famous actor Mr. Khan held telephonic talks with Young Pakistani All-rounder Yasir Arafat followed by his superb performance in the county cricket. Shahrukh Khan also invited Yasir Arafat to represent his team named “Kolkata Knight Rider” in next cricket season of Indian Premier league (IPL) and also sent a representative to finalize modalities of the agreement.Yasir Arafat, who represented Pakistan in one test and 8 ODIs matches, followed by insist of Shahrukh Khan has agreed to ink agreement and said he has no reservation to play in next season of Indian premier league on behalf of Kolkata Knight Rider, however, he said, he would take green signal from Pakistan Cricket Board in this respect.

The management team of Kolkata Knight Rider also contacted relevant authorities of PCB and discussed views to take services of Yasir Arafat.PCB has also shown green signal to Yasir Arafat. It is merit mentioning here that Pakistani All-Rounder Yasir Arafat took 7 wickets in one test match and made 44 runs, 4 wickets in 8 ODIs by making 48 runs and 551 wickets by making 4914 in 136 first class matches.
Source: onlinenews.com.pk/

Hailing the success of money-spinning Indian Premier League, Cricket Board chief Sharad Pawar says the Twenty20 competition would not disturb the international calendar in any way. “The Indian Premier League (IPL) was indeed a great success and it has given a new direction not only to Indian cricket but also world cricket,” Pawar has said in an interview.

“ICC (International Cricket Council) is the parent body for world cricket and the BCCI has an excellent relationship with every other sister board. The IPL as is played now will not disturb international cricket in any way. In fact, it will strengthen the relation and bonding between international cricketers and the Boards,” the BCCI Chief has said.

Lauding IPL’s chairman-commissioner Lalit Modi for initiating the move to launch the League at one of the BCCI’s meetings, Pawar has also admitted that very few in the Board would have thought it would become such a huge success story. “It was Lalit Modi, the vice-president of the BCCI, who first mooted the idea of starting the Indian Premier League in one of the Board meetings and he, along with his team, did a great job.

“To be honest, very few people in the Board would have thought that the IPL would be such a success,” he has said, adding that with the experience gained after its first year he was certain it will “only become stronger and better in the years to come”, the BCCI chief has remarked. “The IPL has given Indian cricket some new heroes hitherto unheard (of) and also brought a new brand of spectators, which includes 30% women”, he has declared.

Source: timesnow.tv

Mohammad Asif has been confirmed as the player who tested positive for a banned substance during the Indian Premier League (IPL), the league has announced. The IPL, though, hasn’t revealed the drug that was found in the sample that Asif, who played for the Delhi Daredevils, provided during random testing.

The IPL compared the result from the WADA-approved laboratory in Switzerland [that tested the samples] with the data collected by IDTM, the Sweden-based independent agency that organised the tests, and confirmed Asif as the player whose sample was positive.

The IPL medical committee then scruntinised the form filled by Asif prior to the test to verify but he had not applied for or been granted an exemption for the drug found in the sample. “It was also checked if Asif had applied for and was granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE),” an IPL release said. “It was found that Asif had not applied for a TUE. A note in writing has been sent to the player and his home board and to the franchise on the findings.”

“I am shocked and surprised because I was extra cautious and never used any banned substances,” Asif told AFP. “I don’t know what to do. I will decide the next course of action only after consultation with my lawyer.” Asif was detained in Dubai for possession of contraband drugs last month for 19 days and he is already the subject of a board inquiry into those events.

Because of the globally unique nature of the case – Asif, as a Pakistani, tested positive at a domestic Indian tournament approved by the ICC – there is bound to be some confusion over final jurisdiction in the matter. The ICC had said in a release on Sunday that it was the responsibility of the BCCI to “deal with the process in a timely and fair manner”. Though initially the PCB said they would also take action against Asif, the case is not so clear anymore.

Shafqat Naghmi, the board’s chief operating officer, told Cricinfo that the ICC and PCB anti-doping policy don’t specifically account for such a case. “Our anti-doping policy is aligned with the ICC’s, but that doesn’t account for a situation like this. But article 15.3.1 in WADA’s code says that in the case where an international player tests positive in another country’s tournament, the rules of the overall global governing body – the ICC here – are likely to apply.

“We need to study it a bit more before we make a decision: who will form a tribunal in this case? The BCCI or the PCB? We think it is likely that the BCCI will form a tribunal and ICC’s anti-doping policy will apply,” Naghmi concluded.

Asif now has the right to request that his ‘B’ sample [supplied at the same time as the one that tested positive] be sent for analysis, which he and his representative can attend along with an IPL representative. Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, said the procedure will take about two weeks in case Asif sends his ‘B’ sample for testing.

If the ‘B’ sample also tests positive, the matter will be taken up by the IPL’s drugs tribunal, comprising of Sunil Gavaskar, Dr Ravi Bapat (ex-Vice Chancellor of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences) and lawyer Shirish Gupte. The tribunal will study the issue and take a decision in accordance with the ICC’s anti-doping code.

Asif played eight of Delhi’s 15 matches in the IPL, and shared the new ball alongside Glenn McGrath. He split the webbing on his right hand during the tournament. Greg Shipperd, the coach of the Delhi Daredevils, said he was unaware if any of his players had taken illegal substances. “They’d be pretty silly if they did take something they shouldn’t,” Shipperd told The Australian.

Asif, along with Shoaib Akhtar, had tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in PCB’s internal tests ahead of the Champions Trophy in 2006. He was banned for one year, which was overturned on appeal. Asif also cleared a dope test in August 2007 ahead of the World Twenty20 in South Africa.

Source: cricinfo.com

By Dan Baynes

An unidentified cricketer failed a drug test at this year’s inaugural Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, the sport’s world governing body said.If the player isn’t found to have taken pre-declared prescribed drugs, a test on his “B” sample will be carried out, IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi told the Press Trust of India. Should that prove positive, the matter will go before the league’s drugs tribunal.

“As of now we are at the first stage where one sample has tested positive,” PTI cited Modi as saying. “The issue is now with the IPL’s medical committee. The identity of the player will matter only after we check on the pre-declared drugs.”The test was carried out by a World Anti-Doping Agency accredited laboratory, said the Dubai-based International Cricket Council in an e-mailed statement.

Under ICC rules, it is the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s responsibility to complete the process in a timely and fair manner, the ICC said. The Rajasthan Royals won the inaugural IPL title on June 1.

Source:bloomberg.com