The Indian Premier League has already scaled new heights on the viewership front and Monday could be another record-setting day for the T20 tournament.
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings will fight it out at a sold-out Chinnaswamy Stadium, with crowd favourites Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni on opposing sides. Going by the trend in the IPL this season, Monday's game could be one of the most viewed cricket matches.
The IPL is being shown for free online in India by digital rights holder and billionaire Mukesh Ambani's JioCinema, after securing the deal for $2.7 billion, which has resulted in an astronomical rise in viewership numbers.
The record so far this season is 22 million concurrent viewers, which was achieved when Dhoni was batting against Rajasthan Royals and five runs were needed off the last ball.
The corresponding numbers on the TV front are equally encouraging. According to Disney Star, the official television broadcasters in India, IPL 2023 witnessed a cumulative reach of 300 million viewers for the first 10 matches.
According to available data, the highest concurrent viewership on digital platform was 25 million for India's semi-final defeat to New Zealand in the 2019 ODI World Cup. There as well, it was Dhoni who seemed to be taking India towards an improbable victory before getting out towards the end.
Highest viewership for IPL 2023:
1. 22 million: Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals
2. 18 million: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Lucknow Super Giants
=3. 17 million: Chennai Super Kings v Lucknow Super Giants
=3. 17 million: Kolkata Knight Riders v Sunrisers Hyderabad
=3. 17 million: Mumbai Indians v Delhi Capitals
6. 16 million: Chennai Super Kings v Gujarat Titans
Note: Peak concurrent viewers on digital platform
Fastest bowlers of IPL
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Lockie Ferguson of Kolkata Knight Riders bowled the fastest delivery of IPL 2023 at 154.1 kph. Sportzpics for BCCI -
2. Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Umran Malik has bowled the second fastest delivery of IPL 2023 so far, clocking in at 152.1 kph. AP -
3. Matheesha Pathirana (Chennai Super Kings) - 151.4 kph (94 mph). AFP -
4. Mark Wood (Lucknow Super Giants) - 151.2 kph. AP -
=5. Alzarri Joseph (Gujarat Titans) - 150 kph (93.2 mph). AP -
=5. Anrich Nortje (Delhi Capitals) - 150 kph (93.2 mph). AFP -
7. KM Asif (Rajasthan Royals) - 148.5 kph. Sportzpics for IPL -
8. Mohammad Siraj (Royal Challengers Bangalore) - 147.8 kph. AFP -
9. Tushar Deshpande (Chennai Super Kings) - 146.4 kph. Sportzpics for IPL -
10. Josh Little (Gujarat Titans) - 145.6 kph (90.4 mph). AFP -
11. Khaleel Ahmed (Delhi Capitals) - 145.4 kph. AFP -
12. Jofra Archer (Mumbai Indians) - 145.2 kph. AP
