Sports
Champions Twenty20 League off to a slow start
MUMBAI: Before it started, people wondered if the Airtel Champions Twenty20 League would be able to match the popularity of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The answer for now is no.
Tam data (C&S, 4+) shows that the first six matches only delivered an average TVR of 1.16. This is despite the fact that an Indian IPL franchise featured in three of these matches.
The highest rating for this event was the opening match between Bangalore and Cape Cobras on 8 October which got a rating of 2.01 TVR. The match between the Deccan Chargers and Sussex Sharks on 10 October got a rating of 1.80 TVR while the contest between the Delhi Daredevils and Victoria Bushrangers fetched a rating of 1.43.
The matches not featuring an Indian side did not even reach a TVR of 1. Compared with this, the second edition of the IPL managed an average TVR of 4.2 despite the fact that it was played in South Africa.
The Twenty20 World Cup earlier this year, which again took place in South Africa, fared better than the Champions Twenty20 League, held in India, with an average TVR of 2.89. Around 37.1 million viewers have tuned in to this event so far.
For those who think that T20 delivers better than ODIs, that is not necessarily the case. The Compaq Cup which was a tri series ODI featuring India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand got an average TVR of 3 on Ten Sports.
Sports
Ashish Limaye bags gold and bronze at Montelibretti 2026 event
Indian rider shines in Italy, gains ground ahead of higher-level tests
MUMBAI: Ashish Limaye delivered a strong performance on the international stage, clinching both gold and bronze at the FEI Eventing Competition Montelibretti 2026 held in Italy earlier this month.
Competing against riders from across the globe, Limaye secured the top podium finish in the CCI 2 Long Format riding Easy Turn, registering a score of 30.2 in a field that featured participants from five nations. He followed it up with a bronze medal in the CCI 2 Short Format aboard Willy Be Dun, scoring 32 in a much larger and highly competitive pool of 66 riders representing nine countries.
Reflecting on the outing, Fédération Equestre Internationale event rider Ashish Limaye said, “Riding at Montelibretti was amazing. To compete with such talented riders from around the world was fantastic. I’m really happy with the results and the effort our team has put in.”
Beyond the podium finishes, Limaye also achieved a milestone result on D’Avril du Pinier, earning a Minimum Eligibility Requirement, bringing him closer to qualifying for the FEI World Equestrian Games.
While the Montelibretti competition was not a direct qualifier for major multi-sport events, it serves as a crucial stepping stone as Limaye prepares to move up to the more demanding CCI 3 level.
With momentum firmly on his side, the Indian rider now looks set to build on this success as he targets bigger stages in the global equestrian circuit.
