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Sony Pictures Networks India extends its broadcast partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket
Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has extended its exclusive global media rights to broadcast Sri Lanka Cricket matches for the next four years until March 2027. With this deal, starting April 2023, the broadcaster can exclusively televise and livestream globally, the senior men’s cricket matches hosted by SLC during the term of the agreement except Sri Lanka where the broadcaster has only pay television rights.
The next five years will be exciting for cricket fans, as team Sri Lanka will take on the likes of India, Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, Ireland, and Afghanistan on their home turf. Starting on 16 April 2023, the broadcaster will showcase matches of The Lions, who will take on Ireland in a two-match Test series. Sri Lanka will then move on to finish an exhilarating summer of cricket by hosting arch-rivals Pakistan in July 2023, where they will look to leverage their home advantage. The Men in Blue will prepare to take on Sri Lanka on their home turf in 2024 and 2026. After a two-year hiatus, Team India will play three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka in July 2024. Team India will return to Sri Lanka in August 2026 to play their first Test series (two matches) in the country since 2017.
With the extension of the partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket, SPN will now have the broadcast rights of England and Wales Cricket Board and Pakistan Cricket Board.
Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer distribution & international business and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul said, “We are happy to extend our long-standing and successful partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket. The current Asian cricket champion, Sri Lanka, is a formidable team in the continent and the extended partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket will engage cricket fans across markets. We will continue our momentum to serve cricket fans with quality international cricket.”
Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley De Silva said, “We are extremely happy to continue our partnership with Sony Pictures Networks India, an international entity with a strong profile, and are confident that it will help us reach the desired global audience with the games played at home.”
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
