eNews
Anil Kumble picks his Greatest Indian Test Team on CricketNext
MUMBAI: CricketNext announced a new campaign – Jumbo’s Army – with its newly appointed ambassador, Anil Kumble. The contest will pick eleven winners who would stand a chance to fly down to New Zealand to watch the India – New Zealand’s T20 match. To win the contest cricket enthusiasts are required to download the app and pick a team of Indian Test players who made their debut in or after 1990, when Kumble first played for India. Kumble has been designated as the captain of the team so the contestants have to pick 10 other players from this pool. Winners will be chosen from among those who are able to correctly guess Anil Kumble’s dream team or come closest to it. The contest will be live till end of December, 2018.
Talking about the contest, Network 18 Digital – CEO, Manish Maheshwari, said, “Our defining ethos at CricketNext is Where Fans Rule – our endeavor is to always put the fan at the center of what we do which is reflected in the idea for this campaign. This initiative also allows fans to display their knowledge of the game and encourages them to step into the shoes of one of India’s all-time greats – Anil Kumble. We are sure that this opportunity to witness the Indian team live in action would really excite fans across the country”
Gaurav Kalra, the Group Editor – Sports, Network18 said, “We are very excited about this initiative. Anil Kumble is perhaps amongst the most astute, deep -thinking cricketers that the game has ever seen. His team selections would surely reflect his deep understanding of the game – we are all excited to determine if he has included a surprise or two.”
Speaking on the campaign, legendary player, Anil Kumble, said, “I had a great time selecting my dream team. Given the passion with which fans follow cricket in the country, I am very excited about what fans will submit and if they are able to correctly guess my dream team.”
CricketNext prides itself in offering the sharpest opinions, incisive analysis, as well as a unique perspective, brought forth by a team of veteran cricket writers and analysts, including Ayaz Memon, Prem Panicker, Siddhartha Vaidyanathan, Amit Varma, and several others. The app features news, photos, videos, podcasts, quizzes, polls, live blogs, interactive graphs and player & team profiles. A distinctive feature about the App is the fact that it has cricketing stats on every international played since 1877.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
