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Viacom18 announces expert panel for the first-ever Women’s Premier League Season
Mumbai: Viacom18 announced their expert panel for the first-ever season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), starting 4 March. Fans are in for a treat as Anjum Chopra, Punam Raut, Reema Malhotra, Veda Krishnamurthy, Natalie Germanos, Kate Cross, Mel Jones, Zaheer Khan, Aakash Chopra, Venkatesh Prasad, Parthiv Patel, Saba Karim, Pragyan Ojha, and Abhinav Mukund will come together for a five language presentation in 4K in English and Hindi on JioCinema for free.
The season-opener on 4 March will see Gujarat Giants taking on Mumbai Indians, which will be presented in English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu on JioCinema for no cost. On TV, viewers can catch the action live in English and Telugu on Sports18 1 SD & HD, in Hindi on Sports18 Khel, in Kannada on Colors Kannada Cinema, and in Tamil on Colors Tamil.
“We are thrilled to present the first season of the Women’s Premier League across JioCinema and multiple channels of our network. Our efforts are focused on offering viewers an immersive experience which is accessible, affordable, and in multiple languages to scale up the league’s impact and reach,” said Viacom18 Sports Head of Content Siddharth Sharma. “Through our wide-spread coverage, including 4K presentation in English and Hindi, we aim to bring the excitement and competitiveness of the league to millions of sports fans across the country in their favourite language for free on JioCinema. We look forward to an exciting season of top-class cricket and celebrating the incredible cricketers on the field.”
The network also dropped a wide range of content, offering fans and viewers compelling background stories of players with insights from their families and coaches. Fans will also be treated with a peek into the training sessions of all the teams, along with expert reviews leading up to the start of the inaugural season.
Through the season, Viacom18 will offer studio shows with expert analysis and player interviews. The anchor-led daily show will see Sanjana Ganesan and Ridhima Pathak debuting for the network alongside Suhail Chandhok and Anant Tyagi. In addition, fans can enjoy a weekly wrap-up of top action from WPL every Saturday through the season.
Viacom18 has signed TATA Motors, TATA Capital, Hero Vida, Bank of Baroda, MPL Striker, World Gold Council, H&M, JSW Paints, Noise and Apar Industries as sponsors for their inaugural WPL presentation.
The announcement comes on the back of Viacom18’s WPL campaign launch titles, Naam Hoga Tera Har Zubaan Par. You can watch the film here.
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.
