Sports
Bharat Army joins Anil Kapoor in Prime Video’s Lalla Anthem
Supporters’ group features in T20 World Cup promo with Harbhajan Singh ahead of Super 8.
MUMBAI: When the crowd roars, even the anthem needs backup and the Bharat Army just brought the noise. India’s largest travelling cricket supporters’ group has been woven into Prime Video’s promotional track “The Lalla Anthem – A Warning From Subedaar”, released as Team India enters the Super 8 stage of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
The high-energy anthem showcases Bharat Army members delivering coordinated chants, drum beats and fan sequences alongside actors Anil Kapoor and Radhikka Madan, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh and sports presenter Shefali Bagga. The collaboration spotlights the role organised fan groups play in electrifying match-day atmospheres during major international tournaments.
Bharat Army founder Rakesh Patel said, “Cricket for us is about passion, belief, and backing the team through every high and low. Being part of Lalla Anthem felt natural because the song carries that same fire and pride. It celebrates the spirit of standing together, which resonates with us at Bharat Army.”
The group is set for a strong presence in the stands, especially for India’s Super 8 clash against South Africa in Ahmedabad on 22 February, as part of its tournament travel programme. Bharat Army has been a fixture throughout the competition, organising supporter sections and fan engagement activities.
“The Lalla Anthem – A Warning From Subedaar” is composed by Rohan–Vinayak, written by Rishi Upadhyay and sung by Vishal Dadlani. The track promotes the upcoming action-drama Subedaar, starring Anil Kapoor, Radhikka Madan, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal and Mona Singh, directed by Suresh Triveni, which premieres on Prime Video on 5 March.
In a tournament where every cheer counts, Bharat Army’s cameo in the anthem proves fans aren’t just in the stands, they’re part of the soundtrack. Catch the reel on Instagram and feel the pulse before the next ball is bowled.
Sports
JioStar terminates Bangladesh IPL and WPL broadcast rights deals
Payment defaults lead to licence cancellations and potential legal action.
MUMBAI: When the money stops flowing in cricket’s biggest cash cow, even the sub-licence holders can find themselves suddenly bowled out. JioStar India Private Limited has terminated its Bangladesh sub-licence agreements for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL) after the counterparty, Excel Lead IT Solutions FZ-LLC (holding company of broadcaster T-Sports), failed to clear outstanding dues.
The agreements, originally signed with Viacom18 (now part of JioStar) and later novated to Excel Lead, covered digital media rights for the IPL and WPL in Bangladesh for the 2023–27 seasons. In early January 2026, JioStar issued a demand notice for unpaid amounts related to the IPL 2025 and WPL 2025 seasons. Despite providing full access to matches and allowing complete commercial exploitation, the dues remained unpaid even after the cure period expired.
As a result, all licensed rights have automatically reverted to JioStar. The company has demanded immediate payment of all outstanding dues along with overdue interest and costs, and has instructed Excel Lead (T-Sports) to immediately cease any broadcast, streaming, promotion or exploitation of the rights in Bangladesh. Any continued use would constitute unauthorised exploitation.
JioStar is also considering legal proceedings, including interim and injunctive relief, to protect the commercial value of these high-profile cricket properties.
In a separate development, JioStar has invoked arbitration against Green Bean Sports Marketing (an affiliate of Gazi TV Bangladesh) over a sublicensing agreement for IPL television media rights in Bangladesh for the 2023–27 seasons. The agreement was terminated in January 2025 due to contractual breaches and payment issues.
Industry sources say JioStar remains confident in the judicial process and is determined to recover all outstanding amounts, including interest and litigation costs, in full.
The developments highlight a growing zero-tolerance approach by rights holders towards payment defaults and unauthorised exploitation in South Asia’s lucrative sports media market, where marquee cricket properties continue to command premium valuations.
In the high-stakes game of cricket broadcasting, it seems JioStar has decided that when payments don’t come, the game stops and the rights go back to the rightful owner.
