Dhoni’s ‘on-field post-match tutorials’, Kohli vs Bumrah nostalgia, best catches clips: How micro moments of awesomeness are enriching IPL storytelling | Ipl News

Back in 2014, late one evening, while watching a one-sided IPL game on television, seasoned broadcaster, and present CEO, Sports at Jiostar, Sanjog Gupta made a snap decision that he has stood till date. It was the visuals of the crowd leaving the stadium, captured dutifully his camera person, that had got him thinking.Those in the business of keeping fans glued to the seats at the venue, or sofas in the living room, can’t afford to advertise the fading interest in the game. That day the one-time standard ‘dead match’ self-defeating frame breathed its last.
“That’s the first thing I shut down. There’s a blanket rule on our broadcasts: you will not show a fan leaving the stadium. We don’t want anyone leaving the broadcast,” says Sanjog, a day before IPL turns 18. The official broadcaster JioStar wants to maximize their viewership to cover the close to Rs 50,000 crore they paid for the five-year IPL broadcasting deal.
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In these media-rich times of endless options it is not easy to earn the undivided attention of cricket fans. However, there is potential, since unlike the international contests, in IPL as Sanjog puts it “Indians win every night”. If not Rohit, it’s Virat. If not Dhoni, it’s Shreyas. If not Sanju, it’s KL. If not Axar, it’s Pant.
Sanjog Gupta, CEO – Sports, JioStar
But still there are challenges. Apps on mobile screen screaming for attention, even cricket junkies have fingers that itch to press the remote control button. Serials, shopping and sleep vs Cricket – that’s an uneven contest, it is never a one-sided battle.
Sanjog has been part of the dog-eat-dog world of sports broadcasting long enough to know it. He talks about the pains he and his team take so that ‘no one moves or gives up’ on the game. He uses an interesting phrase to make his point. He jokes he has a copyright for it.
“Our objective is to maximize viewer engagement creating “micro-moments of awesomeness” … Yeah, it’s Sanjog Gupta copyright but now widely followed across the JioStar broadcasts,” he chuckles before getting brass-tacks.Story continues below this ad
The constant search for ‘awesomeness’ isn’t just about the wait for an audacious stroke, a dream ball or a jaw-dropping catch to unfold. It could even be Rohit’s endearing ‘tapori’ chat with his mates caught the stump mic. Or Sunil Gavaskar’s expression of organic disappointment, the ‘stupid, stupid, stupid’ comment during Border Gavaskar Trophy that went on to inspire copy writers in an advertising company with a travel app account. It’s no longer about just capturing the eye-ball, it’s about arresting the mind, not allowing it to think beyond what’s here on the telly.
‘Eventifying every occasion’
Sanjog says that they are in the “business of eventifying every occasion”. that he means every ball, each over and the games. For most TV networks, sports, read cricket, is the bread and butter. As for IPL, it isn’t a loaf, it is sliced bread. One game is divided into 20 overs, 120 balls – each occasion comes with a tantalizing ‘… to be continued’ teaser.
This needs serious pre-event planning. It is a fascinating process that combines arts, science and commerce — psychology, mathematics and economics. Sanjog gives a behind-the-scenes tour of the IPL coverage. “The producer and director are the custodians of visual and audio storytelling for the match … You need a mix between ‘micro moments of awesomeness’ and enriched storytelling that engages viewers,” says the JioStar CEO.
It all starts with the network’s research team compiling a document of 30-odd pages that has key statics of players, possible narratives, details about the stadium and pitch. It also mentions the stage of the tournament, match-up of rivals and club hory of cricketers.Story continues below this ad
Armed with the abridged version of this research document, the commentators get slots. “The roster is designed to get the balance right. There are those commentators who deliver quotable quotes, they are paired with someone who can fashion the storyline well. This is why there is always a storyteller, or “caller,” in the commentary box and experts who add either color or expertise,” says Sanjog.
Sidhu-Sehwag tag team
For the 2025 season, JioStar has signed up the charmingly soft-spoken Kiwi Kane Williamson. There are also plans to pair motormouth Navjot Sidhu and one-liner expert Virender Sehwag. It’s a recipe for a parallel storyline running the commentary box.
Then comes the plan to fire the first salvo, the pursuit to get the viewers at ‘hello’. That again is a tough task. Broadcasters believe that fans take their time to settle in front of television. There’s popcorn to be heated, beers to be cooled and friends to call. So how do you get the fan in the kitchen to rush to the couch at Ravi Shastri’s ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ shout out?
Over to Sanjog. “Say someone like Trent Boult (New Zealand and Mumbai Indian pacer) is playing. He gets wickets in the first over. So visuals of him getting early wickets are rolled out from the second or third ball of his first over. Clips of his past dismissals, Hawkeye trajectory… all pre-produced. Similarly, we will promote Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head (SRH big-hitters) as an opening pair that demands attention from ball one because they’re aggressive from the start,” he says.Story continues below this ad
Building a sense of anticipation goes a long way in fans staying tuned. So in case during the MI vs RCB game, Jasprit Bumrah has finished his initial burst and Kohli is still at the crease, the producer reaches out of the archival footage. Soon on screen will be a young Bumrah over the moon after taking his first IPL wicket – the legend of the game beaten the bowler with unusual action. “Kya Bumrah is baar King Kohli ko out kar sakenge?” – the commentator is background sounding like the eerily creaking door from a suspense movie.
MS Dhoni on the left and Jasprit Bumrah celebrating Virat Kohli’s wicket on the right. (FILE photo)
But what about the games with no hope in hell to generate ‘edge of seat’ excitement. The broadcasters are prepared for that eventuality too. It is for such days, the ‘Dead Match’ packages are compiled well in advance. “If a match is dead, like 100 required in 3 overs, we shift the conversation to something interesting to viewers, unrelated to the match result. It could be about the best catches taken in the tournament,” says Sanjog.
In regular games, the more time-tested way to keep the viewers tied to the game is what broadcasters call “the elements of prescription and prediction in commentary”. One is about assuring the fans that all’s not lost in a seemingly ‘finished’ game and other is about a well-experienced pundit sharing an educated guess about the outcome of the game. This is another case of the broadcaster trying to get into the fan’s mind, pointing to the sliver of light inside the dark tunnel.
Sanjog shares an anecdote from the 2015 World Cup to explain this. “It is from the India vs Australia semi-final we lost. India lost three quick wickets and was chasing 300-plus. It looked like the game was over. Dhoni comes out to bat, and we put out a statics: In 21 matches, Dhoni remained unbeaten, India hadn’t lost. Despite the situation, this gave hope,” he said.Story continues below this ad
Dhoni did give hope, till he finally got run-out. In IPL, these days, even when Chennai Super Kings have no chance to win, televisions don’t get switched off around the country or the crowd don’t head for the stadium gates. With him all set to walk into the sunset, they want to savour every moment.
Post-game strategy
The broadcasters are too smart to have missed this trend. Post-game, Dhoni’s ‘on-field post-match tutorials’ to the young have become a regular feature of IPL coverage. Sanjog’s producers still don’t show fans leaving, they know that the ‘micro moments of awesomeness’ can unfold even after the game has ended and awards are dributed. Dhoni imparting wisdom to the next generation too is an event.In IPL, if broadcasters have their way, you can’t check out anytime or leave the stadium.