Sameer | Entertainment Correspondent
New Delhi : BharatRizin, led by Directors Kanishk Sheel, Sushil Sharma, Sushil Malik and Rahul Mishra, today announced their entry to the fast-growing Indian sports entertainment market, with the acquisition of the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) franchisee Bhojpuri Dabanggs, captained by popular actor and Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Shri. Manoj Tiwari. The announcement was made at a city hotel in the national capital, in the presence of all four Directors and Shri. Tiwari. Also present on the occasion were Mr. Vishnu Vardhan Induri, Founder and Managing Director, CCL and Mr. Manvinder Bisla, former cricketer and head coach of the Bhojpuri Dabanngs team, which posted their best ever runner-up finish in the ninth season of the league earlier this year.
The function also saw the presence of team member Shri. Khesari Lal Yadav (actor, singer) as well as actors Akshara Singh and Shubhi Sharma. Actor Sapna Chauhan, who has been anointed Brand Ambassador of the Bhojpuri Dabanggs, also graced the occasion.
Addressing the gathering Shri. Manoj Tiwari said, “We are looking at a new future for the Bhojpuri Dabanggs starting with the 10th season of the CCL coming up. We finished second-best in the final last time and this year, with new owners and new ideas and energy that they will hopefully bring in, we want to go one better. Our new promoters are established and successful business leaders and we believe they will be the right fit to realize the full potential of the Bhojpuri Dabanggs brand going forward. As captain, I welcome them with all heart on behalf of the entire team and the Bhojpuri film community and fans.”
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Ravi Kishan, I congratulate Bharat Rizin for this new partnership with Bhojpuri Dabanggs. All the actors in our Bhojpuri industry share a special bond and I am very sure that we will have a great performance in the upcoming season.”
Mr. Vishnu Vardhan Induri speaking on behalf of the CCL said, “The 10th season of the CCL is going to be the biggest ever. We plan to start from Feb 23rd, 2024, in Sharjah and then travel to six different Indian cities over 4 Weekends during the February and March. We welcome successful corporate leaders like Mr. Sheel, Mr. Sharma, Mr. Malik and Mr. Mishra to the CCL family. CCL is a growing brand and the fact that such established business leaders are joining the fold, indicates that the potential of the league is enormous. We wish them a successful stint with the Bhojpuri Dabanggs.”
While the Telegu Warriors are the most successful CCL franchisee with four titles in nine seasons, the Bhojpuri Dabanggs showed tremendous improvement last season to reach the final.
The Bhojpuri Dabanggs:
Manoj Tiwari (Actor & MP), Dinesh Lal Yadav (Vice Captain & MP), Ravi Kishan (Actor, Mentor & MP), Khesari Lal Yadav (Mentor) Pawan Singh (Mentor) & Vikas Singh Birapan (Team Manager)
Director quotes
Kanishk Sheel- Sports entertainment is at its very nascent stage in India and we have seen what one IPL can achieve. We believe today we have taken a small step towards changing the game when it comes to sports entertainment in India. We are excited to begin this new journey.
Sushil Sharma- We are positive about the Bhojpuri Dabanggs brand and look forward to give their fans a whole new and complete experience. BharatRizin is committed to make India realise its full potential in the lucrative sports entertainment space and our Bhojpuri Dabanggs endeavour is a first step in that direction.
Sushil Malik- Extraordinary experiences is what sets apart professional sporting pursuits with sports entertainment. It draws multitudes of paying audiences towards a sport, which otherwise they would not bother watching. We aim to bring those never-before-seen experiences to Indian audiences with BharatRizin.
Rahul Mishra- Sport entertainment is set for a boom in India as the Government’s initiatives like Khelo India spread the reach of various sports into far corners of the country. A brand like Bhojpuri Dabanggs is a prime example of the potential of sportainment in the country. We look forward to taking them to the next level.
