Star Sports, in association with India Signing Hands, promotes inclusive IPL viewership

Delhi: Star Sports, the official broadcaster of Tata IPL 2024, in association with India Signing Hands (ISH News), and support from the BCCI, has introduced a new Indian Sign Language Feed with Descriptive Commentary. For the first time, the Tata IPL will be customised for Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing and Visually Impaired fans.

The feed will provide ball-by-ball updates using Indian sign language in consultation with specialists who are being brought on board by India Signing Hands. Along with describing every moment of the game, it will also give regular verbal score updates. 

Sanjog Gupta, Head - Sports, Disney Star, said "Star Sports has always believed in widening access for Cricket and taking it to newer cohorts of fans. Our pioneering foray into regional coverage has reached an unparalleled scale and has defined the modern Cricket broadcast. With this initiative, we seek to address fans who’ve been deprived of the complete Cricket experience. The ‘language’ of commentary takes a new leap in inclusivity with the introduction of Indian Sign Language on Tata IPL 2024 for fans with impaired hearing and descriptive commentary for fans with sight impairment.”

Alok Kejriwal, Founder and CEO, India Signing Hands, which has been awarded the National Award 2023 for Empowerment of People with Disabilities, said, “This feed will allow millions of differently abled people like me to experience the thrill and excitement of IPL for the very first time in a language that we understand. I was born Deaf, and I always enjoyed watching cricket with my family while growing up. But the experience just wasn’t the same for me as it was for them, since I could not hear the commentary and so, I would miss a lot of nuances. I thank Star Sports for pioneering this initiative at this scale, and I am certain that this collaboration will inspire millions of differently abled people to take interest in sports, while paving the way for a more inclusive and accessible ecosystem.”