ZEEL to air International League T20 across 10 linear channels
The tournament will also be live-streamed on ZEE5
The International League T20, which has received multi-year ICC approval, will air exclusively live on ZEE’s 10 linear channels in English, Hindi, and Tamil as well as on its OTT platform ZEE5, Zee Entertainment said in an official statement.
The event will be broadcast on Zee Cinema (SD & HD), Zee Anmol Cinema, Zee Thirai, Zee Bangla Cinema, Zee Zest (SD & HD), & Pictures HD, &Flix (SD & HD), and ZEE5 in India and globally. The 34-match event will have six teams competing to win the ILT20 trophy.
ILT20 is a professional franchise-based T20 format cricket tournament with 6 franchise teams, comprising 84 International and 24 UAE-based players, competing in a 34-match event. The six franchises include Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Kolkata Knight Riders), Desert Vipers (Lancer Capital), Dubai Capitals (GMR), Gulf Giants (Adani Sportsline), MI Emirates (Reliance Industries), and Sharjah Warriors (Capri Global).
International League T20 on Monday unveiled the trophy for the upcoming inaugural edition of the league, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates from 13th January to 12th February 2023. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman, Emirates Cricket Board, unveiled the uniquely-designed silver trophy, which honours UAE’s heritage and culture.
Talking about the trophy and the much-anticipated tournament, Rahul Johri, President – Business, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) said, “The unveiling of the ILT20 trophy by His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan in the presence of all team owners and cricket legends marks a momentous milestone in our journey with the Emirates Cricket Board. This distinctive trophy is symbolic of the league’s unparalleled scale and ambition. We are humbled and thrilled that ILT20 is the coveted vehicle for Zee’s re-entry into sports broadcasting. We are enthused with this opportunity to entertain millions of cricket fans across India and globally on both linear television and streaming platform ZEE5.”
The unveiling event was graced by Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL; Khalid Al Zarooni, Vice-Chairman, Emirates Cricket Board alongside franchise owners Aryan Khan, Suhana Khan and Jay Mehta (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders); Kiran Grandhi (Dubai Capitals); Pranav Adani (Gulf Giants); Nikhil Meswani (MI Emirates); Rajesh Sharma (Sharjah Warriors) and Paul Voight (Desert Vipers). Cricketing legends Dwayne Bravo, Wasim Akram, Simon Doull, and Brett Lee were also in attendance at the grand celebrations in Dubai.
The trophy has been designed and constructed by Thomas Lyte, the world-renowned trophy maker from England. The trophy design, while reflecting upon the Emirati culture, takes inspiration from UAE’s majestic icon and national bird – the falcon - as well as UAE’s most famous landmark, the Burj Khalifa.
The 7-pointed crown aspires to weave together the seven Emirates (of the UAE), shaped as sand dunes inspired by the incredible sands of Tel Moreeb (Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi) - considered to be the world’s tallest dunes, which proudly sits atop clasping a cricket ball, as the trophy’s final. The 830mm tall trophy pays tribute to the height of the magnificent Burj Khalifa, which measures 830m from ground to tip.
