Author: Ashok Namboodiri

In cricket, weather is the ultimate equaliser – it respects no team, format, or broadcaster. One drizzle at Dharamshala, a passing cloud over the Oval, or a Mumbai monsoon that refuses to leave the Arabian Sea can turn a perfectly planned production grid into chaos. Yet, what separates a world-class broadcaster from the rest is not how they cover the match, but how they handle the moments when there is no match to cover. The instant rain halts play, the broadcast ecosystem goes into overdrive. In the control rooms of Star Sports, Sony, or Zee decisions are made in seconds…

When Chris Broad, former England opener and long-serving match referee for the International Cricket Council (ICC), recently disclosed that he was instructed to be “lenient” towards India’s men’s cricket team over slow-over-rates – he claimed he was told to “find some time because it’s India” – the remark resonated far beyond one discrete case of officiating. It quietly dropped open the door to an uncomfortable truth: the global hierarchy of world cricket is still haunted by colour, power and politics, and India sits, paradoxically, both as subject and object of that hierarchy. Broad’s claim is simple yet seismic. He says…

Matchweek 9 of the Premier League delivered everything fans expect from the world’s most competitive league – drama, data, and defining storylines. From Arsenal’s controlled dominance to Manchester City’s rare stumble, the week showed that form is fleeting but intent, measured through metrics like xG and pressing numbers, remains the true differentiator. At the Emirates stadium, Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 1-0. This wasn’t vintage Arsenal, but it was efficient. With 60% possession and an xG of 0.92, they eked out the win courtesy of structure and composure. Palace’s xG of 0.78 showed the contest was finely poised – the Gunners’…

As a broadcaster gearing up for the India v Australia Women’s World Cup semi-final, the key positioning must combine event excellence, narrative urgency, multi-platform distribution, and brand-friendly metrics. This is no ordinary fixture: it involves two of the world’s leading teams in women’s cricket, raising natural interest and presenting a premium marketing moment.What we will address in this article are three interesting aspects – What should be the positoning of the match? How is this different from, say, the recently concluded Asia Cup 2025? How does platform behaviour influence the marketing communication? The first step is to frame the encounter…

A lot is going to be written about the RoKo story in Sydney. As I sit down to pen down my thoughts on the life lessons from what we witnessed today, I can only say that comebacks are for mortals. What we saw in Sydney was something else – two men reawakening their art. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli didn’t just pick up bats; they picked up unfinished conversations with time, form, and destiny. After nine months, they reminded us that true champions don’t chase the game; they centre it around their calm. Their stellar performance wasn’t just about runs…

When I set out to launch the regional langauge channels for Star Sports in 2018, one of the key issues was the lack of sports prodcuers in the regional langauges. In the first round, we recruited people who knew television production assuming that we could teach them the nuances of sport. This experimet failed miserably. In the second round, we turned this logic on its head and recruited people who were passionate about sports. We thought we could teach them the nuances of television production. In the final analysis, this is what worked for us. The lesson we learnt is…

India versus New Zealand ICC World Cup clash at DY Patil Stadium drew over 23,000 fans, marking the highest recorded attendance for a Women’s World Cup group stage match. More importantly, it symbolised a paradigm shift – the arrival of women’s cricket as a mainstream cultural and commercial property. For India, Pratik Rawal has silenced critics and Smriti Mandhana has done what she does best. This is an opportunity to transform this milestone into a movement. The turnout dispels the myth that women’s sport needs subsidies to attract fans. It demonstrates natural market demand when narratives, stars, and access align.…

Ashok Namboodiri Rishabh Pant’s return to leadership as captain of India A for the red-ball series against South Africa A feels like the universe rewarding resilience. This is not just another comeback story; it’s the rebirth of Indian cricket’s most enigmatic modern character. Pant has been the spark, the daredevil, the entertainer, and the game-changer. But the question that always lingers is – who exactly is Rishabh Pant? A maverick? A genius in need of direction? Or a natural phenomenon that refuses to fit into any category? Few Indian cricketers divide opinion like Pant. He frustrates purists and thrills romantics.…

Rubin Amorim said, “I think that was the biggest win in my time at Manchester United. We fought for every ball, we lost our composure in the second half, but the spirit was there and that is the most important thing. If you have the spirit, you can win any game.” For Manchester United, game week 8 was historic as the team registered a win over Liverpool at Anfield after 10 long years. Bryan Mbeumo scored within the first two minutes and gave United the lead, but what really worked for them was going back to the basics. Amorim clearly…

When Shubman Gill said he would “not hesitate to ask Virat or Rohit for help if it came to a crunch situation,” he wasn’t just being courteous. He was defining the tone of a new leadership era. To captain two of Indian cricket’s greatest icons requires not bravado but balance. Gill’s words revealed something rare among young leaders: the ability to combine confidence with humility. Cricket has seen such transitions before. When Graeme Smith became South Africa’s captain at just 22, he inherited legends like Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis. He didn’t win them over with authority but with honesty…