ummer is approaching and so is one of the most awaited tournaments. With a brand-new title sponsor and the addition of two new teams, the TATA IPL 2022 returns to its original summer window, from March 26, 2022.
Over the years, every season of IPL has witnessed unbelievable moments of thrill and brilliance and has developed a reputation for generating extraordinary and high-octane cricketing moments. The tournament has consistently produced insane, unbelievable, and extraordinary cricketing moments, so much so that fans have come to expect such extraordinary action on a regular basis from TATA IPL.
To celebrate all the excitement and the return of TATA IPL 2022 to Indian shores, Star Sports, the official broadcaster of IPL, has launched #YehAbNormalHai campaign featuring MS Dhoni.
With a view to celebrate the IPL summer window, the campaign features cricket legend, MS Dhoni, in a brand-new avatar. Directed by Vasan Bala, a well-known director and screenwriter, the campaign film showcases MS Dhoni as a bus driver, who has stopped the bus in the middle of a very busy road.
The traffic policeman arrives at the scene and questions Dhoni’s actions, to which Dhoni responds that they are watching the Super over of an intense IPL game. The traffic policeman treats this as a normal occurrence during IPL and drives away reinstating the fact that this fandom is normal for IPL matches.
Speaking about the #YehAbNormalHai campaign ahead of TATA IPL 2022, Sanjog Gupta, Head – Sports, Disney Star said: “The TATA IPL 2022 campaign seeks to recruit millions of TV viewers and digital users across the country. Structured in four phases, the campaign turns the spotlight on fan frenzy and unique situations typically associated with the tournament as well as the distinct proposition of this year’s edition. #YeAbNormalHai adequately represents this, tying it with the social context of people discovering a “new normal” in their lives.”
“The launch phase of the campaign strives to create a sense of excitement for the start of the 15th season, which promises to be the biggest ever,” he added.
Keeping in mind the popularity of Tata IPL and the tremendous response received by the fans for MS Dhoni’s new look during the teaser launch, Star Sports will release the campaign film in seven languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and Gujarati.
Notably, the upcoming IPL season will be held entirely in the state of Maharashtra with 55 matches in Mumbai and 15 matches in Pune.
A total of 70 league matches will be played across four international-standard venues in Mumbai and Pune — Wankhede Stadium and DY Patil Stadium to host 20 matches each, while Brabourne Stadium and MCA International Stadium, Pune will host 15 matches each.
The 2022 season will be played in a bio-secure environment at a single hub to avoid air travel, considered as a major threat for the spread of COVID-19 infection, thereby affecting the players and tournament.
While 55 matches are scheduled to be held in Mumbai, the remaining 15 games will be staged in Pune while the playoffs’ venues haven’t been decided yet. Is most likley that the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad will stage the playoffs however, no official announcement has been made yet.
In the upcoming season, the 10 teams have been divided into two groups. While Group A comprises of Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants, Group B includes Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans.
From this year onwards, the lucrative league will be a ten-team affair following the addition of the two new teams – Ahmedabad and Lucknow and will have a total of 74 games.