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Star India CEO states focus will be on the game in upcoming IPL seasons after claiming media rights tussle

Star India won the IPL media rights auction on Monday for INR 16,435 crores.

IPL has undoubtedly been the marquee domestic T20 league in the world, ever since it’s inception in 2008 © IANS
IPL has undoubtedly been the marquee domestic T20 league in the world, ever since it’s inception in 2008 © IANS

Indian Premier League (IPL) has been the go-to place for cricket in the cricketing calendar in India as well as across the globe. Apart from the action on the field, the masala and masti off field has kept spectators hooked to the edge of their seats. Cheerleaders and loud music between overs have, among other things, ruled roost. However, Uday Shankar, CEO of Star India, the new IPL broadcaster, remained tight-lipped on their strategies and implementations after winning the IPL media rights auction for a whopping INR 16,435 crores on Monday. He stated that the action on the field will remain the integral part of the tournament.

“You have seen on Star Sports [that] our focus is strictly on the sport. We believe that the spotlight should be on the sport and we will continue to do that… I am not commenting on what anybody else does,” Shankar told Hindustan Times after leading his company’s successful bid. If it [the figure quoted by star] was slightly less, we would not have got the rights. We won by a really narrow margin of 2-3 per cent, so we were very close.”

Shankar refused to accept that Star India holds monopoly over the Indian cricket market: “Our BCCI rights get over in less than six months and the Indian team, over the next few years, is going to be travelling abroad so much, and we don’t have the England and Australian board rights. With IPL, we have a breather.”

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