MAM
ICC enlists Prabhakaran Thanraj as VP-commercial & operations
MUMBAI: Prabhakaran Thanraj has reasons to be pleased. He’s just been appointed as the vice-president – commercial & operations at the apex global cricket administrative body – The International Cricket Council based in Dubai. For three years he was at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), first as head of events & commercial, then being promoted as general manager – events and commercial in 2024..
At the ACC, along with the team, he helped monetise the Women’s Asia Cup, a 70 per cent higher value from Sony Pictures Networks India for the ACC media rights for the 2024-2031 cycle.
Prabha, as he is called by colleagues, began his career as a signage and branding coordinator at IMG Reliance for the Aircel Chennai Open from 2009-2012. It was onto the desk as a graphic designer for around two years with Cognizant Technology and hew switched to IMG Reliance as a graphic designer for a year. It was here that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) spotted him and hired him as sponsorship manager for the Champions League 2013 and 2014. IMG Reliance once again lured him away as assistant sponsorship manager and he stayed put there for almost four years.
And then came the shift to the ACC which was a huge leap for Prabha. But he has proved himself. Today, he has a track record driving revenue through strategic partnerships, managing high-impact events, and leading successful marketing campaigns. And he is known for guiding teams, maximising brand impact, and advancing the sport’s reach on an international scale.
The ICC congratulated him and wishes him all the best for his innings with them. We, at indiantelevision.com, are sure Prabha will negotiate the googlies as well as the short-pitched deliveries well. And even pull some of them over mid-wicket for a six.
Brands
YES Bank hands the keys to SBI veteran Vinay Tonse as it bets on a new era
Former SBI managing director appointed as YES Bank’s new MD and CEO
MUMBAI: YES Bank is done rebuilding. Now it wants to grow. The private sector lender has appointed Vinay Muralidhar Tonse as managing director and chief executive officer-designate, with RBI approval secured and a start date of April 6, 2026 confirmed. The three-year term signals the bank’s intent to shift gears from crisis recovery to full-throttle expansion.
Tonse, 60, is no stranger to scale. Most recently managing director at State Bank of India, he oversaw a retail book of roughly $800bn in deposits and advances, one of the largest in the country. Before that, he ran SBI Mutual Fund from August 2020 to December 2022, a stint that saw assets under management surge from Rs 4.32 lakh crore to Rs 7.32 lakh crore across market cycles. Add stints in Singapore and four years leading SBI’s overseas operations in Osaka, and the incoming chief arrives with a genuinely global CV.
His academic grounding is equally solid: a commerce degree from St Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bengaluru, and a master’s in commerce from Bangalore University.
The appointment follows an extensive search and evaluation process by the bank’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee. NRC chairperson Nandita Gurjar said the committee unanimously backed Tonse, citing his leadership track record, governance credentials and ability to drive the bank’s next phase of transformation.
Non-executive chairman Rama Subramaniam Gandhi was unequivocal. “I am certain that Vinay Tonse, with his vast experience as a senior banker, will propel YES Bank to its next phase of growth,” Gandhi said, adding that the bank remains focused on strengthening its retail and corporate banking franchises and expanding its branch network.
Rajeev Kannan, non-executive director and senior executive at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the bank’s largest shareholder, said Tonse’s experience across retail, corporate banking, global markets and asset management positioned him well to lead the lender. SMBC said it looks forward to working with Tonse and the board as YES Bank pursues its ambition of becoming a top-tier private sector lender anchored in strong governance and sustainable growth.
Tonse succeeds Prashant Kumar, who took the helm in March 2020 when YES Bank was in freefall following a severe financial crisis, and spent six years painstakingly stabilising the institution, rebuilding governance and restoring operational scale. Gandhi was generous: “The bank remains indebted to Prashant Kumar, who is responsible for much of what a strong financial powerhouse YES Bank is today.”
Tonse, for his part, struck a purposeful note. “Together with the board and my colleagues, I remain deeply committed to creating long-term value for all our stakeholders,” he said, pledging to build on Kumar’s foundation guided by his personal motto: Make A Difference.
Beyond the balance sheet, Tonse played cricket at college and club level and represented Karnataka in archery at the national championships — sports he credits with teaching him teamwork, situational leadership, discipline and focus. In quieter moments, he reaches for retro Kannada music, classic Hindi songs, and the crooning of Engelbert Humperdinck, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar.
YES Bank has its steady-handed rebuilder in Kumar to thank for survival. Now it has a scale-obsessed growth banker at the wheel. The next chapter starts April 6.
