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My11Circle Women’s T20 Challenge to air on Star Sports & Disney+Hotstar
Mumbai: Even as the pulsating IPLT20 tournament has entered the playoff stage, Disney Star India has announced that it’s going to add to cricket lovers’ excitement by airing My11Circle Women’s T20 Challenge from 23 May to 28 May on the Star Sports network and stream it on Disney+ Hotstar as well. The tournament will have multilingual feeds in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada.
The tournament features three teams Supernovas, Trailblazers and Velocity with Hamanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma respectively leading them. Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Pooja Vastrakar, Yastika Bhatia, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Richa Ghosh, Poonam Yadav, Shafali Varma, Sneh Rana, and Taniya Bhatia are some of the national Indian cricketers who will be battling it out in Pune’s MCA stadium. The teams are also sprinkled with some overseas greats like Sophie Ecclestone, Deandra Dottin, Laura Wolvaardt. Hayley Matthews, Kathryn Cross, Salma Khatum and Sophia Brown.
Each of the teams will play a match against the other, with the top two sides featuring in the final on 28 May.
Star Sports has launched a promo film in two languages (Hindi and Telugu) ahead of the start of the tournament. Created and conceptualised by the in-house team of Disney Star, it features Bollywood star Taapsee Pannu.
“My love for sports is known to all but the love for cricket is different,” said Taapsee Pannu. “In the last few years, we have seen that women’s cricket, in India and across the globe, has made huge progress not just in its technicality and competitiveness, but in popularity as a brand as well. The WT20 Challenge 2022 will undoubtedly be an extraordinary tournament featuring top cricketers and will offer immense excitement to fans and supporters of the game of cricket worldwide.”
The WT20 Challenge has attracted Games24X7’s MyCircle 11 as a title sponsor, even as FanCraze, Ceat and Boost have come on as official partners. These were announced by the BCCI over the weekend.
“The return of the My11Circle Women’s T20 Challenge and with the interest being generated around the tournament we are well on our way to solidifying the pathway to a dedicated Women’s IPL and continue to grow participation of women in the sport,” IPL chairman Brijesh Patel had said during the announcement. “New partners coming on board is testament to the quality and popularity of the tournament. We hope the My11Circle WT20C provides ample opportunities for players to step up and be a role model for all the budding women cricketers and for those young fans who are the backbone of the sport. We thank all the Partners for their continuous support.”
Added Games 24×7 co-founder & co-CEO Bhavin Pandya: “We are very excited to be title sponsors of the upcoming Women’s T20 Challenge 2022. One of the most endearing developments in the cricket world in the last few years is the growing popularity of women’s cricket. This contest, which will feature some of the finest cricketers in world cricket, will give a further fillip to the rising popularity of women’s cricket, and will offer immense excitement to fans and supporters of the game of cricket worldwide.”
For cricket crazies, there’s a bounty in store.
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.
