Latest news with #Venky
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
MLC: San Francisco Unicorns are betting on AI to redefine T20 cricket in USA
Venky Harinarayan is a co-owner of the San Francisco Unicorns, a franchise in the Major League Cricket. (Image: Special Arrangement) Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been the buzzwords for many years now in different spheres. Cricket has embraced data, belatedly and, perhaps, begrudgingly — now it is the turn of AI. No surprise that one of the first embracers are Silicon Valley venture capitalists who founded Junglee and Kosmix, which were later acquired by Amazon and Walmart, respectively. Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan met during their college days in the US and shared a passion for cricket. Venky, who lives in San Francisco, played in school and relied on newspaper clippings sent by his father to stay abreast with the game in the late 80s and early 90s. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Fast forward two decades and the duo have turned their love for cricket into an entity - having birthed the San Francisco Unicorns in the Major League Cricket (MLC). "We've tried to build this franchise from first principles, like any startup. And in today's world, trying to build a startup without leveraging the data and making it AI first is not a smart thing to do," said Venky to by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Вот что поза во сне говорит о вашем характере! Удивительные Новости Undo "I think we are pushing the envelope on a lot of how these things are applied to cricket." Some of the challenging aspects that are scrutinised with the help of data science and AI are squad construction, auction tactics, domestic draft picks and in-game strategies. File photo of Jake Fraser McGurk. (ANI) One player identified by this process was Australia's Jake Fraser-McGurk who was snapped ahead of the second season. Despite his impressive CV in T20 leagues, the 23-year-old only produced 81 runs from seven matches in MLC 2024. The Unicorns, however, are unperturbed. "You can keep going deeper and deeper today with AI. For example, if bowler X is bowling to batter Y, the bowling coach can advise what should they be bowling, what length, what the plan is etc. AI can help dramatically with that. Because it can look at all the balls that the batter has played and tell you, 'this is where the strengths are, this is the weakness'," explained Venky. "What you see right now is that a lot of this has been done by the first level of data analysis. AI is sort of the next level. And completely new territory." "I think most teams should be starting that journey at this point because it is going to be opening up a lot of new avenues as to how you play the game. And this is less about our team. This is about pretty much any data science or AI operation. You need to have sort of a harmony between the data and the humans," he elaborated. After an inaugural season of learnings, the San Francisco Unicorns finished as runners-up in 2024, losing to Washington Freedom in the final. It was a big achievement for both teams, especially since they're up against four franchises backed by IPL owners. MI New York, Texas Super Kings, LA Knight Riders, and Seattle Orcas benefit from the experience gained through their owners' involvement in various T20 leagues. We showed up at the stadium, all the IPL teams have giveaways. We have no idea this is what you do! So our guys are running to the local printer, trying to get some flags printed, trying to get some hats Venky Harinarayan The challenge of going head-to-head with such legacy franchises intrigues Venky. "To be honest, I actually love that. Because it's always good to compete against the best. I'm very happy with all the IPL teams as our partners, but from a franchise point of view, especially on the field, you do want to compete with the best," he said before acknowledging their collaboration with Cricket Victoria to ensure they're an efficient unit. "I feel like we are the new kids on the block and we embrace that. Again, coming from the startup world, we embrace that completely." "When you start a startup, you're competing with the big giants. So you have to embrace that. Otherwise you don't belong belong in this world. And to be honest, first year wasn't great. We showed up at the stadium, all the IPL teams have giveaways, have flags. We have no idea this is what you do! So our guys are running to the local printer, trying to get some flags printed, trying to get some hats." How do you grow cricket in the USA? Oakland Coliseum will host MLC matches this season, becoming the third venue in the USA's T20 league. (Image credit: X) That captures one of the challenges for MLC and its six franchises. There have been steady steps with number of matches increasing from 19, 25 to 34 in the upcoming season, with the venues also going from two (Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas and Church Street Park, North Carolina) to three (Grand Prairie; Broward County Stadium in Lauderhiil, Florida and Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California). There is an overarching test of growing the game in the region while keeping the league competitive. "We're fairly clear that this is something which is not going to happen overnight. It's going to happen over a period of time, and we have to be patient and willing to keep pushing. We know there's definitely opportunity on the competitive side, there's still a way to go — we have to keep improving," opened up Venky. "After every season, we reflect on what we can do better, and I'm sure every team does the same. And when it comes to growing cricket here, that's something we really need to embrace." "As a startup, the first two years have been especially challenging. We've been focused on getting our own house in order — fielding a competitive product and getting the basics right. But now, heading into season four, after this one, we feel we're at a point where we can begin building real momentum." "There's so much opportunity. We've been amazed by the interest — not just in watching cricket, but in playing it. And it's not limited to people who grew up in cricket-playing nations like India. It's also their children and those from other communities. You see this reflected in Bay Area academies — one I visited recently had over 300 kids, and that's just one of many." "First, we need to solidify the sport within passionate communities, and then expand to those where awareness is still low. There's a marketing challenge too — many Americans still think of the old, slow format of cricket, with tea breaks and multi-day matches. But T20 is a fast, exciting game that fits the viewing habits here. Once people experience it, they love it, but it takes education." "Of course, American sports are deeply rooted, so carving out a niche here won't be easy. It's not a simple process. But we have great raw material and encouraging proof points from the first two seasons. Soccer took a long time to get established here. So, we just have to keep pushing, keep investing, and that's important." San Francisco Unicorns will get the 2025 MLC season underway against Washington Freedom on June 12 at Oakland Coliseum. A total of 30 matches will be played in the league stage followed by knockouts in Texas, with the season culminating on July 13.
Mint
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Is Venkatesh Iyer on his way out of Kolkata Knight Riders? Aakash Chopra feels IPL side dropped hint during SRH vs KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders' poor defence of their Indian Premier League title ended on May 25 after they crashed to a huge defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last IPL 2025 fixture. KKR conceded a massive 278/3 in the first innings to the Hyderabad franchise before putting on a meek chase that ended with the defending champions getting skittled out for 168. Their 110-run defeat at the Arun Jaitley Stadium epitomised their batting struggles as they finished IPL 2025 at a disappointed eighth with 12 points from 14 matches. One of the biggest disappointments for KKR from the batting unit has been Venkatesh Iyer, who was roped in for a huge sum of ₹ 23 crore. To say he has had a poor season would be an understatement, and KKR left the lanky southpaw out for the SRH fixture; he was on the Impact Substitute list but was not brought in. This is the second time he didn't feature for KKR in IPL 2025 after being dropped for the Chennai Super Kings clash on May 7. Commentator Aakash Chopra wondered whether his exclusion was a sign that KKR could move on from him ahead of IPL 2026 as they look to rebuild their squad before next season. "The big news for me from this match was that they didn't play Venkatesh Iyer. He was in the impact substitute's list, but you didn't get him to bat. You got Manish Pandey and Angkrish Raghuvanshi to bat, and you played Ramandeep Singh and Rinku Singh. You played everyone, but you left Venky out," Chopra said while speaking on his official YouTube channel. "Is that the indicator that Venky will be released next year? You will release ₹ 23 crore, and then you may want to buy him back at a lesser price. That is a possibility, but I feel we have got an indicator for next year," he added. The lanky southpaw featured only 11 times for the defending champions this year, and his numbers make for poor reading. Iyer could muster only 142 runs in the entire season at an average of 20.29 and a strike rate of 139.22. Part of the reason for his poor form could be a change in his batting position. The left-handed batsman usually plays at the top of the innings but has featured lower in the batting order this year for KKR. With South African Quinton de Kock and West Indies' Sunil Narine cementing their spot as openers for KKR, Iyer could well be on his way out of the franchise if they choose to retain the duo at the top.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Blackburn Women players felt 'devalued' over club withdrawal
Blackburn Women defender Rachel Dugdale says players have been made to feel "devalued" by the "lack of communication" from the club over their decision to withdraw from the Women's Championship. Rovers confirmed on Tuesday it would drop out of the second tier next season because owners Venky are unwilling to meet the league's requirements on facilities, player welfare and claimed players were told of the news by manager Simon Parker just an hour before it was made public, before an email was sent via the club's HR Sport saw the email, which said the decision would have a "significant impact on the staffing and playing structure moving forward".Speaking a day after the news was confirmed, Dugdale told BBC Sport: "There is just a feeling of being devalued. "The amount of work we put in this year, despite having by far the lowest budget within the league, was all due to our sacrifice and dedication. "To not have that communication really made us feel devalued as players. It sends a really poor and strong message to younger female footballers that owners and people higher up don't have the will, or want, to do right by us."The 28-year-old added there had been "absolutely nothing" from the club since the announcement and players and staff were still unsure of their is the second successive year Dugdale has been part of a squad who have withdrawn from the league due to financial issues after Reading dropped to the fifth tier in 2024."There have been conversations among us, but no other communication from the club in terms of paying out the rest of our contracts or what it would mean," added the Northern Ireland international defender."They still don't know what tier we will be in. That financial security is the main thing on all of our minds at the moment. "We deserve to know and have extra support put in place for the staff and the players."BBC Sport has contacted Blackburn Rovers to offer them a response. 'I wasn't brave enough to speak out before' Dugdale said it was important clubs saw footballers as "people and not just players", which is why she was keen to speak out on the well as Reading last year, players from Wolves Women were left frustrated in April as the club had already decided not to apply to compete in the Women's Championship, despite the players believing they were chasing said she was "too worried to speak up about it" last year while at Reading, but does not want women's teams to continue to suffer lower down the pyramid."We got advice saying we shouldn't speak out, we should protect ourselves in terms of making sure we get those final salary payments, and make sure we don't look like a troublemaker for future clubs - all of that advice is really well-intentioned," she added."Last year, I took that advice. But ultimately, my priority at the moment is affecting and improving the women's game for the better. "I don't think enough noise was made last year at Reading. I wasn't brave enough to [speak out]. I think that's made it OK and acceptable for Blackburn to do it this year."I don't want any more players or staff to go through this uncertainty and difficult time that we are. I want the women's game to keep moving."Dugdale said she earned £15,000 a year at Blackburn - below the national minimum wage - and the majority of players are on an average of £9,000 a travels from the south of England to Blackburn on weekends to play matches and stays with a friend, none of which is 28-year-old added she was "fortunate" to be represented by the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), but the majority of Blackburn's players do not have that legal forward, she called for change."The problem at the moment is that you can only be a part of the PFA as a female player if you have played in the Women's Super League, like I did with Doncaster Belles," said Dugdale."In the men's game, it goes all the way down to the fourth tier. Now the Women's Championship is completely professional going into next season, I don't see any reason why they shouldn't be covered by the PFA. "A lot of my team-mates haven't got the support I have at the moment and it is invaluable. I think that needs to change."Dugdale has also called for a stricter review process of the 'fit and proper person test' - a background check carried out by the Football Association to ensure prospective owners and directors of clubs are suitable to buy and run them."What are the parameters for that? Is it a sweeping test that processes the men's team, and the women's team is just bolted on?" she added."I think it's about understanding that and improving it to make sure the intentions from the owners are right for the women's team."
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Suriya 46': Suriya announces his film with Venky Atluri, salary revealed
Suriya recently made a special appearance in Hyderabad for the promotions of his upcoming film ' Retro ', where he also confirmed exciting news about his next project. Tentatively titled ' Suriya 46 ', the new venture will be directed by ' Lucky Baskhar ' fame , and a leading production house from Tollywood . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a short clip shared by the team, Suriya joyfully announced, 'I have to share this today. With Allu Arvind garu's blessings, I am teaming up with my brother Venky. This will be my next film, and I will be spending a lot of time in beautiful Hyderabad. We will start shooting from May onwards.' The announcement has thrilled fans who have been eagerly awaiting updates. Venky Atluri's past success adds to the excitement Earlier reports hinted at a collaboration between Suriya and Venky Atluri, and now it has been officially confirmed. Venky recently tasted success with 'Lucky Baskhar', a crime drama starring Dulquer Salmaan. The film followed the gripping story of a modest bank cashier who gets drawn into the dangerous world of scams to rise up the social ladder. It was both a critical and commercial success, featuring an ensemble cast including Meenakshi Chaudhary, Tinnu Anand, and P. Sai Kumar. With Venky's flair for storytelling and Suriya's powerful screen presence, expectations are high for their first collaboration. Suriya's upcoming release 'Retro' also builds massive buzz Meanwhile, Suriya is gearing up for the release of 'Retro', directed by Karthik Subbaraj. The romantic action drama follows Paarivel Kannan aka Paari, a young man from a violent family who dreams of a peaceful life with his love Rukmini. However, his turbulent past keeps pulling him back. The film stars Pooja Hegde, Joju George, Jayaram, and Karunakaran alongside Suriya, and has already created strong buzz among audiences with its intriguing premise and stylish presentation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Suriya's Rising Stardom Reflected in His Remuneration Suriya's star power continues to soar with each project. For his fantasy action film ' Kanguva ', Suriya reportedly commanded a whopping Rs 39 crore remuneration, highlighting his top-tier status. The film itself is mounted on a massive Rs 300–350 crore budget. According to NewsX, Suriya has seen a hike as he will be gaining between Rs 20 crore and Rs 25 crore from his previous pay, and this underlines his established position as one of the industry's most bankable and sought-after actors.
The Guardian
13-02-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Blackburn risk burnout as Venky's blunder in waving goodbye to Eustace
The biggest question surrounding John Eustace's departure from promotion-chasing Blackburn to struggling Derby is: why? The manager's tenure at Rovers was indisputably a success. Parachuted in after the messy exit of Jon Dahl Tomasson almost exactly one year ago, Eustace guided Blackburn to safety and this season the team, despite being tipped as relegation candidates, have been in the top six for much of the time. After Wednesday's 2-0 win at West Brom – without Eustace – Rovers are fifth with 14 games remaining. A return to the Premier League after 13 years remains a tantalising prospect. Many were bemused at his decision to speak to Derby, not least at Ewood Park. Rovers said they were 'extremely disappointed by Eustace's request to hold discussions with another club at such a crucial stage of the season, but this has now been reluctantly granted'. In a statement on Thursday morning confirming their parting of ways, Rovers did not conceal their disdain for Derby's approach, failing to mention the rival club by name. One of the biggest reasons for his move is simple: to be closer to his family in the Midlands. It is not difficult to see why Derby is appealing in that respect, particularly as Eustace has a connection to the club where he finished his playing career in 2015. Some may question Eustace's commitment and loyalty, qualities the 45-year-old has demanded from his players since his appointment on a two-and-a-half year contract. That Eustace has spent the past year living in a Blackburn hotel suggests he never envisaged staying long term, and no doubt made a potential return to the family home all the more inviting. Yet it seems bizarre that Rovers' entire season could be derailed by Derby's activation of the coach's £500,000 release clause. Even in the Championship, players are hard to sign and sell but managers remain relatively cheap to sack and hire, something Eustace knows too well after he was inexplicably replaced by Wayne Rooney at Birmingham in October 2023. Questions remain over the Rovers board and Venky's, the club's controversial owner, that has not been to Ewood Park in more than a decade and remains under financial scrutiny in India with ongoing court battles. In September 2023 the Indian government seized assets worth £7.3m relating to the parent company of Venky's purchase of a large house in Lancashire. Much has been made of Venky's lack of spending on the first team, and a lack of transfer funds was another critical reason for Eustace's departure. The manager spoke to the Blackburn board before opening talks with Derby, reportedly demanding guarantees over summer transfer budgets, and his move suggests no agreement was made. Investment has long been a problem at Rovers. Managers and fans have grown frustrated, particularly as money from significant player sales has been used to plug recent annual losses (more than £20m in 2023). Of the 48 clubs to play Championship football in the past 10 years, Blackburn are 45th in terms of expenditure on permanent transfers (and costs relating to free transfers), according to Transfermarkt. During that period, only Swansea have made more profit on selling players, with the figure close to £100m. Blackburn's sales include Adam Wharton to Crystal Palace for £18m (a boyhood fan born in Blackburn), Adam Armstrong to Southampton for £15m, Sammie Szmodics to Ipswich for £10m (last season's Championship top scorer), Jordan Rhodes to Middlesbrough for £9m, Rudy Gestede to Aston Villa for £6m, Grant Hanley to Newcastle for £5.5m, Shane Duffy to Brighton for £4m, the academy product David Raya to Brentford for £3m (and a subsequent £3m sell-on clause when Raya joined Arsenal), Tom Cairney to Fulham for £3m and the Belgium international Thomas Kaminski to Luton for £2.5m. The only players Rovers have signed for more than £1.5m in that period are Sam Gallagher (sold in a cut-price deal to Stoke last summer), Ben Brereton Díaz (who joined Villarreal in 2023 on a free transfer), Armstrong and Szmodics. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Díaz is one of a number of big names lost after bungled contract negotiations. Joe Rothwell (to Bournemouth), the then club captain Darragh Lenihan (to Middlesbrough) and Amari'i Bell (to Luton) have left for nothing in recent years. Rovers have not renewed a first-team contract since 2023 and regardless of whether they are promoted, this will be another summer of uncertainty. Thirteen of the 26 first-team players are out of contract or due to return to parent clubs. Along with contract debacles, there have been other embarrassing incidents. The Orlando City and US forward Duncan McGuire's transfer to Rovers last year broke down owing to an 'administrative error' in which the club pressed the wrong button as they attempted to submit paperwork to the EFL's transfer system. After promotion-chasing seasons tailed off in recent years, Blackburn made six signings in January – a 'significant investment', according to the board (although three are loans and two deals until the end of the season). The captures of Augustus Kargbo from Cesana and Emmanuel Dennis on loan from Nottingham Forest appear astute business. For all the furore over Eustace's departure, Rovers' squad is well-stocked, largely injury-free and seems motivated to perform (if Wednesday at West Brom is anything to go by). 'I've just spoken to Danny Batth, who I had at Sunderland, and he was talking about how the [Blackburn] team were galvanised by what has happened this week,' said West Brom's coach, Tony Mowbray, who managed Blackburn from 2017-22. 'Danny said it made the players really stick together and that they were really up for the game.' The dream of the Premier League is tangible, and regardless of Blackburn's problems, their league position should attract a high calibre of candidate. Steve Cooper, Gary O'Neil, Rob Edwards and the former Rovers players Lee Carsley and Damien Duff – who would be a gamble despite guiding Shelbourne to a historic League of Ireland title last year – have been heavily linked. All eyes are on the Blackburn board. Their next appointment is a big one.
