Mumbai: Leading OTT video service Viu today announced the launch of the first of its kind virtual cricket tournament “iB Cricket Super Over League”. After Viu’s franchise show on cricket, “What The Duck,” which recently aired its third season, it is set to continue to entertain millennial and Gen Z audiences with yet another format with virtual gaming.
The show which is being produced by renowned Ashvini Yardi, founder of Viniyard Films,will see players compete against each other in a virtual reality setting of cricket. It promises to pack a punch with a legendary lineup of cricketers, both past and current, with the likes of Virender Sehwag, Brendon McCullum, Harbhajan Singh, Andre Russell, Suresh Raina, Herschelle Gibbs, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Christopher Lynn, Mohammad Kaif, Tillakaratne Dilshan and VVS Laxman, playing it out between themselves in this completely fun-filled new format of cricket. Famous television actress, Nia Sharma and witty cricket commentator Gautam Bhimani will host the show.
Come Mid-March, this brand-new series, with 12 episodes, will be shown exclusively on Viu. Each episode will show two cricket stalwarts competing against each other, while the other cricketers give their comments and offer tips on how to play the game.There will be 4 teams competing for a slot in the playoffs and eventually the grand finale. The winner of the grand finale will win the coveted trophy and will be crowned winners of the first season of iB Cricket Super Over League. Viuers in India and Middle East will have live access to the league as it happens.
Speaking about the announcement of the show, Sameer Gogate, Head of distribution and monetization – Viu India, said, “We are very excited to offer Viu-ers and cricket lovers around the globe a fresh format to experience. This show is the perfect mix of two things Indians absolutely love – technology and sports. We’re launching this at a time when excitement for the game is at its all-time high and we expect the audience engagement for iB Cricket to map to this.”
Ashvini Yardi, Producer – Viniyard Films commented, “I have always wanted to associate with concepts that are unique and exciting. I am really proud to partner with Viu for this innovative show that is the stepping stone to a whole new world of shows based on Virtual Reality.”
Trivikram, Co-founder & CEO of ProYuga said “iB Cricket is built with a passion to realize every cricket fan’s dream of playing in world-class stadiums. It’s built as a virtual sport and is making its way into the gaming community swiftly. Many eminent cricket stars have played iB Cricket and are equally enjoying and appreciating this vSport which stands as a testimony to its immersiveness. ‘iB Cricket Super Over
League’ is definitely going to excite the cricket lovers. We are very pleased to work with Viu and we are confident that this season would give us a leap in our esports journey.”
Apart from this latest release, cricket fans have more shows to watch onViu. The platform is the homeground for cricket comedy chat shows like What the Duck, Googlies and VirenderSehwag’s micro-original VirukeFunde.
