IPL 2019: BBC to broadcast ball-by-ball commentary
- Published
Ben Stokes is one of 11 English players taking part in the 2019 IPL
The BBC has signed a two-year deal to broadcast ball-by-ball commentary of the Indian Premier League.
The 2019 edition of the world's biggest T20 competition begins on Saturday, 23 March and runs until 12 May.
Matches will be broadcast on both the BBC Sport website and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra (UK only).
Coverage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicks off a big summer of cricket on BBC radio, including the World Cup and the men's and women's Ashes.
"This summer of cricket is set to be one of the most exciting in recent memory and I'm thrilled we're kicking it off with comprehensive coverage of the IPL, which is one of the sport's most vibrant competitions," said Ben Gallop, head of radio and digital for BBC Sport.
Ajay Sethi, chairman of Channel 2 Group Corporation, the IPL's global audio rights partner, said: "This deal will see the BBC deliver radio commentary of the IPL for the first time, providing extensive coverage of the world's leading T20 competition in the run-up to the ECB's launch of The Hundred in 2020.
"This new deal extends the BBC's long and productive partnership with Channel 2 and we look forward to further successes."
As well as match commentary, The Doosra podcast will round up the IPL action each week with England's Women's World Cup-winning bowler Isa Guha, stand-up comedian Aatif Nawaz and BBC Asian Network host Ankur Desai.