The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to start on March 31st, with Gujarat Titans taking on Chennai Super Kings in the opening match. The IPL 2023 season will be played in the home-and-away format, featuring a total of 70 matches in the first phase and four knockouts to follow. The tournament is known for its innovative changes, this year being no exception.
Impact Players and Tactical Substitutions
One of the new rules introduced this year is the use of an “Impact Player” who can be substituted in for tactical reasons. Any Indian player can act as an Impact Player, while an overseas player can only be used if the team has not used the full quota in the starting XI. Additionally, IPL teams can contain a maximum of four overseas players in their starting lineup.
Changing Coin Toss Rules
Furthermore, the rules around coin tosses have been amended, and now captains can confirm their starting lineup after winning the toss. A time penalty has also been introduced to control over rates, similar to international cricket’s T20 and one-day internationals format. If fielding teams fail to finish their overs within a stipulated time frame, like usual changes will be made.
Broadcasters and Multilingual Availability
For supporters and viewers across India, Viacom 18 has acquired digital rights to live stream IPL 2023 matches by paying INR 20,500 crore to BCCI. Disney Star has retained TV broadcasting rights for live events, which are available on the Star Sports network in twelve different languages- English, Tamil, Hindi Tosuu Marathi Gujarati Bengali Telugu Kannada Malayalam and Bhojpuri.
Jio Cinema, a leading online platform for streaming, will live stream all 410 matches for free in 4K resolution and with various camera angles, available across all telecom operators without an OTT subscription. Matches will be available in 12 languages, including English, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali and Bhojpuri. Jio Cinema also offers a multicam feature to watch the games in different angles.
Kane Williamson Ruled Out due to Injury
In the first match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings took place on March 31st was an exciting event to witness. However, Kane Williamson, who is also Titan’s captain could not finish the match due to injury. Williamson injured his right knee while taking a catch and was forced off the field thirteen overs into the game. The injury occurred quite early in the tournament’s season which raises concerns about his participation going forward.
While many superstar players have already been ruled out of IPL 2023 season due to preexisting injuries such as Bumrah and Bairstow in addition to Williamson now. Therefore, Gujarat Titans will need to realign their strategy after losing their captain to injury so early in the game.
Jio Cinema Offers Additional Data Packs
To ensure that spectators are never out of data while streaming IPL2023 events online through Jio Cinema’s platform. Jio has launched three new prepaid plans priced at Rs. 219, Rs. 399 and Rs. 999, offering up to 40GB of data with a daily cap of up to 3GB per day as well as unlimited calling and SMS facilities with some other limited benefits. In addition, they have introduced new data addon packs priced at Rs. 222, Rs.444 and Rs.667 so that viewers can enjoy the matches online without worrying about running out of data.
In conclusion, IPL is one of the most anticipated sports events in India, featuring the world’s top cricket players in a high-octane, entertaining tournament. The IPL 2023 season brings with it many innovative changes, such as the introduction of Impact Players and Tactical Substitutions, Multilingual availability and Time Penalties. In addition, Jio Cinema’s platform offers viewers excellent facilities to stream all matches live in 4K resolution, multiple camera angles and even a multicam feature for free with their respective recharge plans. This year’s tournament is sure to be an unforgettable experience for millions of cricket aficionados across India.
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