| Extraaa Innings T20 | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Sport |
| Country of origin | India |
| Original languages |
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| No. of seasons | 8 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Film City,Mumbai, India |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 120 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Release | 18 April 2008 (2008-04-18) – 24 May 2015 (2015-05-24) |
Extraaa Innings T20 (also popularly called 'Extra Innings') is acricket based show telecast in between match sessions during theIndian Premier League (IPL) that covered match analysis and expert opinions from commentators, retired players and other experts in the sport. In any typical match, the show took place with a pre-match analysis, discussion during the match break and post match analysis. The show was hosted by television personalities along with ex-cricket players inMumbai's RK Studio.[1] The hosts took turns to traverse between the studio and stadiums during random match days which made it easier for them to have interactions and interviews with players during the course of the match.[2] Drummers, dancers and cheerleaders were an integral part of the show. This, along with the stadiums almost always having a full house attendance with a carnival-like atmosphere had given the tournament a high television viewership since its inception in 2008.[3] All these factors have made the IPL the most expensive sporting league in India.[4][5] It broadcast its last episode on 24 May 2015 during2015 IPL final. It was replaced byStar Sports Cricket Live[6] afterStar Sports bought thebroadcasting rights.
Hosts usually take the role of introducing the expert panel, asking them questions and interviewing the players while on field. Extraaa Innings T20 was amongst the first sports show in India that included a predominant number of female anchors in a largely male dominated sport.[7] Ever since, there has been an increase in the number of female commentators and hosts in India's franchise-based sporting events like thefootball andkabaddi.Archana Vijaya, an MTV VJ, has hosted the show in several seasons with her experience as an anchor in similar shows such asTour Diary for extra cover andCricket Masala mar ke.[8][9] She was the only female anchor in the last edition of Extraaa Innings T20 as the other female hosts had prior commitments.[10] Singer and modelShibani Dandekar has anchored the show in several seasons.[7]Mandira Bedi, a prominent face in the television industry who was a host in ICC World Cups 2003 and 2007, had been a host in the 2009 season.[7] Other female hosts who have featured on the show includeRochelle Maria Rao,Pallavi Sharda,Karishma Kotak,Shonali Nagrani,Mayanti Langer andLekha Washington, with some of them having experience as hosts in various cricket talk shows.[8]
Sameer Kochhar had been associated with the show since its inception. Describing the fun and glamour in the IPL to an interview withThe Hindu, he said "Commentary here is not just about talking. It’s a lot about music, dance and well-tailored and colour-coordinated clothes."[2]Gaurav Kapur is yet another prominent anchor bringing some light humor into the show.[11] Other anchors who have had short stints includeShiv Panditt in 2008,[12]Meiyang Chang in 2009,[1]Ayushmann Khurrana andAngad Bedi in 2010.[13]
The experts answer questions and share their analysis of the match with the anchors. Several of these experts from the show also play the role of commentators during some matches.Navjot Singh Sidhu is amongst the most celebrated in the expert panel, managing to blend in his poetic commentary with light-hearted jokes and occasionally mentioning his peculiarthoko band to direct the drummer to beat the drums.Harsha Bhogle with his extensive experience as a commentator has appeared numerous times on the show, often switching roles as a commentator and appearing in presentation ceremonies.[14] Other prominent figures from the cricketing world who are part of the panel includeSunil Gavaskar,Danny Morrison,Ramiz Raja,Shoaib Akhtar,Waqar Younis,Aakash Chopra,Ajay Jadeja,Matthew Hayden,Atul Wassan,Arun Lal,Kapil Dev andKris Srikkanth.[15][16] Among the ex-players from the women's teams, commentators likeAnjum Chopra from theIndian women's team andIsa Guha from theEngland women's team are among the others to have appeared on the show in the expert panel.[17]
2015 introduced the concept of television viewers asking questions to the experts through social media, some of which would be answered or critiqued by the experts on the show. It also included a section called ‘what’s hot, what’s not’ wherein panelists would discuss the highs and lows in the match.[16]
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The high amount of viewership generated by the IPL provides thebollywood and television personalities a chance to promote their movies and shows. Over the years, many well known actors have appeared on the show, often coming up with performances and songs to give the viewers a sneak peek into their upcoming projects.
Shah Rukh Khan, who usually remains present in the gallery rooting for his team, has appeared in the show to promote his movieChennai Express.[18]Deepika Padukone has been on the show multiple times, promotingCocktail in 2012 andPiku in 2015.[19][20] Other actors who have been on the show to promote movies and shows includeSanjay Dutt,[21]Anil Kapoor andArjun Kapoor,[22]Karishma Kapoor,[23]Tushar Kapoor andRitesh Deshmukh,[24]Siddharth Malhotra andShraddha Kapoor,[25]Shahid Kapoor andPriyanka Chopra,[26]Amitabh Bachchan[27] andEmraan Hashmi[28] among others.
Professional wrestlersEttore "Big E" Ewen andKofi Kingston (of theWWE tag teamThe New Day) alsoappeared on the show, with Ewen displaying his cricketing knowledge due to his father playing cricket inJamaica.[29]