Tag: cricket

Sport Weekly: Inside the plan to revamp English women’s football | Football News

This week Al Jazeera covers the impact of ‘NewCo’, surf therapy, and playing football in Robben Island prison.

Welcome to Al Jazeera’s Sport Weekly newsletter, which explores the intersection of sport with politics, culture and money. You can sign up here.

English women’s football is set to enter a lucrative new era from next season as the top two tiers break from the Football Association (FA) and a new company, NewCo, takes over the running of the women’s professional game.

Kelly Simmons, former FA director of the women’s game, says the FA wasn’t the right long-term fit to develop the women’s game, which is soaring in popularity – especially after a highly successful World Cup.

“We were concerned that if the women’s leagues just rolled into the men’s Premier League, it would not have sort of the laser focus or an independent voice and might not be the highest priority,” Simmons told Al Jazeera.

“So we [at the FA] all agreed unanimously that the best model would be to set up a new company that has a laser focus, a board and an executive that is solely focused on making the best decisions for the women’s professional game.”

Alex Culvin, a former professional player now heading women’s football strategy and research at FIFPRO players union, says the leagues’ decision to function independently has come at the right time.

“I think, in England, having the independence and the ability to strategically prioritise the growth of the women’s league is something that hasn’t been done before. It’s important, and I’m incredibly excited,” Culvin told Al Jazeera.

The Women’s Super League (WSL) now believes it can become the first billion-pound ($1.24bn) women’s football league in the world within a decade.

WSL clubs will reportedly receive 75 per cent of the combined revenues and have all the voting power on commercial and broadcast matters.

Culvin raised concerns about a power grab by top clubs.

“For me, it is quite problematic because, again, there’s a consolidation of power among the bigger clubs,” Culvin said. “For this new foundation, I think it’s important that there’s no vested interest in providing an undemocratic decision-making amongst clubs.”

Simmons says that revenue sharing further down the pyramid would have to be addressed in the future and that NewCo would still need to work closely with the FA.

“The FA will need to think through how they manage and develop the relationship with the new company to make sure that there’s a joined-up strategy, particularly across things like youth talent, talent development and club development,” she said.

Meanwhile, much about how the governance will operate remains unclear. No financial fair play rules have been announced. Even the name is a placeholder.

So while there is excitement over the potential of the women’s game, it’s tempered by concerns that women’s football could end up replicating some of the stark inequalities and avarice of the men’s game.

Elsewhere this week:

  • A way of saying ‘we shall overcome’: Playing football and resisting apartheid on Robben Island.
  • Fixing-convicted former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt withdrawn as Pakistan Cricket Board consultant.
  • ‘It gave me a purpose’: Surf therapy transforms lives in South Africa.

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Fixing-convicted former Pakistan cricket captain withdrawn as consultant | Cricket News

Salman Butt has been withdrawn a day after his much-criticised appointment as selection consultant for the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Cricket authorities in Pakistan have withdrawn spot-fixing convicted former captain Salman Butt from a consultancy role a day after his appointment was announced, following criticism from the media, fans and cricket experts.

Butt, along with former players Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum, was appointed as a consultant for the men’s national team, according to a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) statement on Friday. However, Butt was withdrawn from the position a day later in a hastily-called press conference by chief selector Wahab Riaz.

“I am reverting the decision to hire Salman as we are friends and I have been accused of nepotism in appointing him,” Riaz told reporters at PCB’s headquarters in Lahore on Saturday evening.

“As chief selector, it is up to me whom I want to hire to help me so I hired him [Butt] as he has knowledge of domestic cricket and possesses a good cricketing mind, but there has been a great deal of debate since the decision was announced,” Riaz said.

“I have told Salman he can’t be a part of my team,” he added.

The PCB turned down Al Jazeera’s request for a comment on Butt’s appointment after his role in the sport’s arguably biggest corruption scandal.

Butt was the central character in a spot-fixing scandal that sent shock waves through the cricket world in September 2010 when a British tabloid’s undercover recording unveiled sports agent Mazhar Majeed boasting of how he could arrange for players to rig games for money.

Then Pakistan captain Butt and his then teammates Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were found guilty of corruption as Pakistan bowled deliberate no-balls during a Test match against England at Lord’s in 2010.

Butt spent seven months of a two-and-a-half-year term at Canterbury prison in southeast England, while Asif and Amir served half of their one-year and six-month terms, respectively.

The opening batter, who played 33 Tests, 78 one-day internationals and 24 Twenty20s, also served a five-year ban from playing the game.

After completing the ban, he returned to play domestic and franchise cricket in Pakistan. The 39-year-old also makes regular stints as a cricket commentator and pundit.

‘Absolutely diabolical’

The move to appoint Butt led to widespread criticism amongst Pakistan cricket fans and experts, who urged the board to remove him immediately.

Cricket writer Kamran Abbasi termed the decision “absolutely diabolical” and called for Riaz to resign from his position as chief selector in a post on X.

Fans said handing Butt a role that would directly affect the selection of the national team was a “despicable decision” and “abhorrent move” that would hurt the credibility of the board.

“An individual’s past involvement in corruption makes it challenging for stakeholders, players, and sponsors to trust their decisions or actions,” Pakistan fan Zainub Razvi wrote in a post on X.

Cricket commentator Aatif Nawaz said despite Butt’s knowledge of the game, he must be kept away from the current players given the “crime for which he was convicted”.

Wholesale changes

The PCB has made a flurry of changes since Pakistan was knocked out of last month’s Cricket World Cup in India following a poor run of results.

Babar Azam stepped down from captaincy of the team in all three formats of the game, and was replaced by opening batter Shan Masood in Test cricket and Shaheen Shah Afridi in T20s.

Head coach Grant Bradburn, team director Mickey Arthur and batting coach Andrew Puttick were all let go, while bowling coach Morne Morkel stepped down from his role as well.

Former captain and all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez took over the role of team director, and former Pakistan bowlers Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal are also part of the new-look support staff as bowling coaches.

The board’s top management has also changed hands frequently over the past few years. Current PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf returned to the helm after a gap of 10 years, replacing former chief Najam Sethi, who held the position for six months.

Pakistan’s men’s team returns to action with a three-match Test series in Australia, starting December 14.



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India clinch T20 series against Australia to ease Cricket World Cup pain | Cricket News

India beat Australia by 20 runs to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five match T20 cricket series.

India have exacted a modicum of revenge for their loss to Australia in the final of the 50-overs Cricket World Cup by clinching the T20 series against them with a match to spare following their 20-run victory in Raipur.

Put into bat in the penultimate match of the series on Friday, India posted 174-9 with Rinku Singh (46) and Jitesh Sharma (35) shining with the bat though they could not make the most of the final overs.

When they returned to defend, Axar Patel (3-16) wrecked Australia’s top order and the tourists eventually managed 154-7 to see India grab an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal (37) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (32) combined in a breezy 50-run opening stand before the home side lost three quick wickets including that of skipper Suryakumar Yadav.

Rinku and Jitesh shored up India and at 129-4 after 15 overs, the home side looked poised for a late flourish that could take them near the 200-mark.

Australia, however, pulled things back in the final five overs conceding only 45 runs and claiming five wickets.

Ben Dwarshuis (3-40) struck twice in his final over and three wickets, including a run out, fell in the final over of the innings from Jason Behrendorff (2-32).

Patel fell for a first ball duck but the all-rounder decided to make amends with the ball when Australia began their chase.

The left-arm spinner dismissed opener Travis Head (31) and number four batter Aaron Hardie in his successive overs and went on to remove Ben McDermott in his final over to reduce Australia to 87-4 in the 12th over.

Matthew Wade smashed an unbeaten 36 off 23 balls but it was not enough in the end.

Both the ODI World Cup finalists had fielded second-string squads for the T20 series, which concludes in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Indian captain Yadav was delighted with the recovery from defeat on Tuesday.

“The toss didn’t go our way, but the character the boys showed is important,” he said at the post-match ceremony.

“We said we have to go out and express ourselves – be fearless and be clear in your mind.”

Wade admitted his side lost this game to the Indian spinners.

“We didn’t play the spin very well through the middle,” he said in the post-match ceremony.

“They got hold of us in the fifth over and didn’t let go.

“There’s some areas to tighten up for us. We need to continue to learn, especially the guys who are below the experienced guys in the squad.

“The World Cup is just around the corner, so these are opportunities to impress.”

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India’s Rohit and Kohli skip white-ball leg of South Africa cricket tour | Cricket News

India name three skippers for eight-match multi-format tour of South Africa next month, with Rohit Sharma leading the two Tests, Suryakumar Yadav for the T20s and KL Rahul for the ODIs.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli will skip the white-ball leg of India’s upcoming tour of South Africa, the country’s cricket board has said.

Rohit and Kohli were part of the India team who lost to Australia in the final of the 50-overs home Cricket World Cup earlier this month.

In Rohit’s absence, Suryakumar Yadav will lead the side in the three-match T20 series beginning in Durban on December 10.

The tour is set to run until January 7, and includes three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests.

Wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul will take charge for the three one-day internationals that follow before Rohit and Kohli return for the two-test series.

“Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had requested the board for a break from the white-ball leg of the tour,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India said in a statement on Thursday.

India dropped middle-order batter Ajinkya Rahane while Cheteshwar Pujara could not force his way back in, with both seemingly at the end of their international careers.

Seamer Mohammed Shami was picked for the Tests in Centurion and Cape Town subject to him passing a fitness test.

India’s test squad:

Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna.

India’s T20 squad:

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Jitesh Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Deepak Chahar.

India’s ODI squad:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (captain), Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar.

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Pakistan cricketers told to ‘prioritise country’ after poor World Cup | Cricket News

Pakistan’s cricketers have been told to prioritise country over leagues with the new director of cricket warning against signing up for T20 franchises, two weeks after the South Asian nation wrapped up its poor run at the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Pakistan, who won the 50-over tournament in 1992, lost five of its nine matches at the World Cup, including the marquee clash against hosts India, and failed to make it to the semifinals.

After the dismal run, the team’s management underwent an overhaul. Star batter Babar Azam stepped down as captain across all formats, and the coaching staff has also been replaced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Head coach Grant Bradburn, team director Mickey Arthur and batting coach Andrew Puttick were all let go while bowling coach Morne Morkel stepped down from his role as well.

Former captain and all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has taken over the role of team director, and former Pakistan bowlers Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal are also part of the new-look support staff as bowling coaches.

“Every player has to understand that they should be available for Pakistan and their first priority should be to play domestic cricket in Pakistan,” a PCB spokesperson told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

‘Prioritise playing for the country’

Ahead of Pakistan’s departure for a series against Australia and New Zealand, Hafeez urged contracted players to “prioritse playing for the country” over franchise cricket.

“Contracted players must make themselves available for the national team,” Hafeez told reporters in Lahore on Tuesday.

Hafeez, who retired from international cricket in 2021, blamed the added workload of franchise leagues as a contributing factor for Pakistan’s poor performance in recent tournaments, including the Asia Cup, where it lost to India and Sri Lanka and failed to make it to the final.

He said players have suffered from fatigue and injuries with the increased frequency of T20 leagues.

“We experienced this in the Asia Cup and World Cup, where there was talk of fatigue, or players were getting injured because their workloads were too much, or they were not performing as they should.”

PCB officials believe that if cricketers play for international leagues after declaring themselves unavailable for the national team, they are inadvertently inflicting damage on the team.

“We have to watch our interests and do what is best for the team,” Hafeez said at the press conference.

According to the PCB, contracted players who were not selected for upcoming tours have been asked to play in the ongoing domestic T20 competition and for their first-class teams instead of searching for opportunities in the Abu Dhabi-based T10 League or other franchise tournaments.

Rauf was fit but chose not to play for Pakistan

Hafeez was questioned about PCB’s decision to deny fast bowler Haris Rauf the NOC (no objection certificate) to join his Melbourne Stars franchise in the upcoming Big Bash League in Australia after he declined to be part of Pakistan’s Test squad for Australia.

Rauf was expected to play in the three-match series, but he pulled out before the squad was announced on November 20 despite confirming his availability two days earlier.

“He [Rauf] told the chief selector [Wahab Riaz] that he wanted to play Test cricket but pulled out the following day,” Hafeez explained.

Riaz, who announced the squad, said Rauf changed his mind because he was “worried about his fitness and workload”. The PCB’s medical panel had declared him fit for the Test series.

Hafeez said Rauf seems reluctant to play the longest format of the game but added that the fast bowler was offered a contract with the understanding that he will “be available for Pakistan across all formats”.

It is not certain whether Rauf’s contract will be downgraded based on his decision, but Hafeez reiterated that the board’s NOC policy will be based on “what Pakistan needs”.

“It can never be the case that players treat [T20] leagues as first priority and Pakistan as second.

“If there is an opportunity that they can play [franchise cricket], that will be definitely considered.”

Rauf has not commented on his decision to opt out of the Test series.

The PCB declined Al Jazeera’s request to speak to the player and team director, citing its “no media interviews” policy during bilateral series and international tournaments.



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England vs New Zealand ICC Cricket World Cup Match Today: When and Where to Watch the Livestreaming

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 begins today, with India playing hosts for the quadrennial tournament this time around. Ten teams, namely Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, will be in the fray to be crowned world champions. The opening match of the World Cup will see a matchup of the two finalists from the 2019 edition. Defending champions England will play New Zealand at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday. The two teams are one of the favourites to go deep into World Cup, which is scheduled to conclude on November 19.

England vs New Zealand will see some of the biggest stars of the game take the field and should be a hotly contested match to raise the curtains on the Cricket World Cup. While the starting lineups for the two teams aren’t out yet, expect to see big names like Devon Conway, Trent Boult, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler at the opening game of the tournament.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 England vs New Zealand: When and where to watch the live streaming

The ICC World Cup 2023 opener between England and New Zealand will begin today at 2pm IST at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. In India, Star Sports Network will broadcast all 48 matches of the tournament. Star Sports broadcast for World Cup matches will be available in Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, in addition to the English world feed. Live streaming for the England vs New Zealand World Cup opener, and the rest of the tournament, will be available on Disney+ Hotstar. According to ICC, the World Cup will also include a vertical feed coverage for the first time for a better mobile viewing experience.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 England vs New Zealand: Squad

England: Ben Stokes, Dawid Malan, Harry Brook, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow (WK), Jos Buttler (C) (WK), Adil Rashid, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Reece Topley.

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (C), Mark Chapman, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway (WK), Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.

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Chakda ‘Xpress Filming: Anushka Sharma Wraps First Schedule of Production on Netflix Movie

Anushka Sharma announced Saturday that she has completed the first schedule of filming on her upcoming movie Chakda ‘Xpress, a biopic on former Indian cricket captain Jhulan Goswami.

“Schedule one done. More to follow.. #ChakdaXpress @jhulangoswami @prositroy @kans26 @netflix_in @officialcsfilms,” the 34-year-old actress said in a caption alongside a picture of a cricket ball, as she announced the schedule wrap on Instagram.

The Netflix film, directed by Prosit Roy, traces Goswami’s journey as she moves up the ladder despite the hindrances posed by misogynistic politics to fulfil her dream of playing cricket for India.

Goswami is one of the fastest bowlers in the history of women’s cricket, and has been ranked first in the ICC Women’s ODI bowling rankings.

Back in March — she continues to play for the Indian cricket team at age 39 — Goswami became the first bowler to take 250 wickets in women’s ODI cricket.

Anushka is also producing Chakda ‘Xpress along with her brother Karnesh Ssharma via their production banner Clean Slate Filmz.

Sharma started shooting for the Netflix film last month. She has previously worked with Roy on her 2018 supernatural horror movie Pari. Sharma’s last acting gig was 2018’s Shah Rukh Khan-led movie Zero.

Chakda ‘Xpress was officially revealed at the start of 2022, with Netflix then saying that filming would begin soon.

“At a time when Jhulan decided to become a cricketer and make her country proud on the global stage, it was very tough for women to even think of playing the sport,” Sharma said in a prepared statement then. “This film is a dramatic retelling of several instances that shaped her life and also women’s cricket.

“From support systems, to facilities, to having a stable income from playing the game, to even having a future in cricket — very little propelled women of India to take up cricket as a profession.

“Jhulan had a fighting and extremely uncertain cricketing career and she stayed motivated to make her country proud. She strived to change the stereotype that women can’t make a career out of playing cricket in India so that the next generation of girls had a better playing field.

“Her life is a living testimony that passion and perseverance triumphs over any or all adversities and Chakda ‘Xpress is the most definitive look into the not so rosy world of women’s cricket back then.

“There is still a lot of work to be done and we have to empower them with the best so that the sport can flourish for women in India.”

Chakda ‘Xpress will premiere on Netflix. No release window, let alone a date, has been set.

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IPL 2022: How to Watch the Final Match Online in India, US, and Around the World

IPL 2022 is about to end today. This year’s IPL, which is officially called Tata IPL 2022, kicked off in March. The over two-month long tournament brought a total of 10 teams to compete for the title, including two new franchises, namely Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT). Among the new ones, the Gujarat Titans are going to compete in the final match that is happening in the evening at 7:30pm IST. Although the IPL 2022 matches are taking place at different stadiums in Maharashtra, the tournament has also been livestreamed and broadcast live. So, here’s how you can watch the IPL 2022 final virtually from your home.

How to watch IPL 2022 final online in India

Indian cricket fans can watch the IPL 2022 final online through Disney+ Hotstar — the official digital streaming partner for the tournament. You can subscribe to the Disney+ Hotstar Mobile on your phone at Rs. 499 a year. Telecom operators including Jio, Airtel, and Vi also have special plans that bundle the Disney+ Hotstar Mobile subscription. If you don’t want to watch the IPL 2022 final match on your mobile device and are looking for a larger viewing experience, you can subscribe to Disney+ Hotstar Super at Rs. 899 a year. It brings access to the IPL as well as other live sports, TV shows, movies, and Hotstar Specials that can be watched on up to two devices at full-HD (1080p) resolution.

For viewers who are looking for an even top-notch viewing of the IPL final match, Disney+ Hotstar Premium is the solution. It comes at Rs. 1,499 a year or Rs. 299 a month and offers 4K streaming of all live matches as well as TV shows, movies, and originals.

IPL 2022 final match can also be watched live on TV through Star India’s sports channels and Start Sports.

How to watch IPL 2022 final live outside India

Video streaming platform YuppTV is offering live IPL access to cricket viewers globally. Cricket fans can use the platform to watch the IPL 2022 final match in countries including Australia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Japan, and Afghanistan. It is also available in Europe, South and Central America, and South East Asia except Singapore and Malaysia.

YuppTV is also in India, though online IPL coverage is exclusive to Disney+ Hotstar in the country.

Cricket lovers in Australia can also watch the IPL 2022 final live through Kayo Sports and Fox Sports. In the US, the match can be watched live via ESPN+ service or through Willow TV.

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Further reading: IPL 2022 final, IPL 2022, Tata IPL 2022, Tata IPL, IPL, cricket, Disney Plus Hotstar, YuppTV, ESPN Plus, Fox Sports, Willow TV

Texas Shooting: How Social Media Repeatedly Fail to Spot Trail of Hints Left by Gunmen



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AI Can Now Help Identify Between Straight And Lateral Backlift by Watching a Video

Science is an important but less popular part of sports. We, as viewers, often overlook the techniques employed by players in the excitement to enjoy the spirit of the game. However, a team’s support staff is keenly on the lookout for the finer details. Consider cricket for instance. While most viewers are interested in how many runs a batsman made, the support staff would analyse the batting and bowling techniques and other minute details, taking help from technology for analysis. Even the most precise calculations have a room for mistakes. To avoid these minor faults, researchers are now taking help from artificial intelligence (AI).

During a game of cricket, a batter facing a fast bowler has to make a decision on the backlift – whether to go for straight or lateral — in a fraction of a second. Now, imagine the technology being improved in a way that it can assist the support staff, or even the [players](https://gadgets360.com/games/news), in identifying the problems. In their latest study published in Nature Scientific Reports, researchers from the University of Johannesburg have developed a deep learning computer vision model, using artificial intelligence, that can spot straight backlift batters from lateral ones, using video only.

“This study provides a way forward in the automatic recognition of player patterns and motion capture, making it less challenging for sports scientists, biomechanists and video analysts working in the field,” the report suggests.

Using this technology, coaches may be able to give more detailed feedback to players. It can also help identify players with lateral backlift components, like legendary cricketer Sir Donald Bradman who was a pioneer of lateral backlift. “The beauty of deep learning in AI is that you don’t have to tell the AI what to look for,” said study co-author Tevin Moodley, a doctoral student at the University of Johannesburg.

The researchers found that untrained batters often instinctively use a lateral backlift. “What we have found is that if young players are not coached using traditional methods, they do not pick up the bat straight. They pick the bat up in a lateral direction. This indirectly suggests that a straight backlift is not a natural movement,” said Prof Habib Noorbhai, another author on the article.

 

 

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Cricket NFT Platform Rario Raises $120 Million in Series A Funding Led By Dream Sports

Rario, a cricket non-fungible token (NFT) platform, has announced that it has secured $120 million (roughly Rs. 915 crore) in a Series A funding round led by Dream Capital, the corporate venture capital, merger and acquistion arm of Dream Sports. Rario, which is the world’s first cricket NFT platform, revealed that they boast the largest share of cricket NFT rights globally via exclusive partnerships with six international cricket leagues coupled with a roster of over 900 cricketers.

Other participants in the funding round include Alpha Wave Global, formerly known as Falcon Edge Capital, and existing investors Animoca Brands, Presight Capital, and Kingsway Capital.

The company also has over 30 exclusive brand ambassadors including the captain of the Australian cricket team, Aaron Finch, Faf Du Plessis, and Jason Holder amongst others.

Rario allows Indian cricket fans to trade officially licensed moments from cricket matches on the blockchain. Indian sports fans can also use Rario to purchase, sell, and trade NFTs using fiat-only methods such as credit cards, debit cards, and bank transfers. Rario has sold over 50,000 NFTs to sports fans in 20 countries since 2021, with the US, the UK, Australia, and India being its top four markets.

The NFT platform produces NFT series for the Hero Caribbean Premier League, Lanka Premier League, Abu Dhabi T10 League, and Legends League Cricket, Lanka League.

The latest partnership also gives Rario access to Dream Sports’ 140 million users, who will be offered fiat-only products in India, with the potential to create the largest cricket NFT platform globally.

Ankit Wadhwa, co-founder, and CEO, of Rario, after the Series A round stated, “Cricket is the second largest sport in the world with more than 1.5 billion fans globally. NFTs are creating new forms of engagement allowing fans to own and trade digital collectibles. Rario’s global cricket NFT ecosystem will be further strengthened by the 140 million sports fans on Dream Sports.”

Founded in 2021, the Singapore-based company has since grown to become a powerhouse in the cricket NFT space and recently signed a multi-year exclusive partnership with Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association to create an Australian cricket metaverse. This will be its first official licensing partnership with a national cricket governing body.

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