Nidahas Trophy 2018: Indian matches get a new broadcaster

In a recent development, sports broadcaster DSport has acquired the media rights for Sri Lanka’s Nidahas Trophy. The 2018 Nidahas Trophy, which will celebrate Sri Lanka’s 70th year of independence, will feature three participating countries who will play seven T20Is in Colombo at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium. The tournament has been slated from the 8th March to 20th March.

This is the first occasion that Discovery Communications has acquired media rights to broadcast live cricket matches involving the Indian cricket team. DSport acquired the rights to the Pakistan Super League T20 cricket competition last year as well. The Discovery Communications-owned channel will telecast all matches from the Twenty20 international cricket tournament, which is being held in Sri Lanka and will also feature Bangladesh and India in a tri-nation clash.

Further details of the agreement have not been made public. However, according to sources from InsideSport, the rights have invoked a lukewarm response from the other leading broadcasters – Star Sports and Sony. An official of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board privy to the developments revealed, “We had few more offers but Discovery’s offer was the best. Discovery already has a huge presence in sports broadcasting in Europe through Eurosport.”

Tournament Details

Right after the culmination of India’s tour of South Africa, the Men inBlue will be taking part in a T20I tri-series for the Nidahas Trophy involving India’s south Asian rivals Bangladesh and hosts Sri Lanka as the other two teams. The tri-nation series will be played as a part of Sri Lanka’s 70th Independence Day celebrations. Called the Nidahas Trophy, it was also played in 1998, marking Sri Lanka’s 50 years of independence and Sri Lanka Cricket’s 50 years of inception.

The three teams will play a total of 7 matches  Each team will play each other twice, with two teams progressing to the final.