ESPNCricinfo gears up for the IPL season

The new sections and products aim to deliver comprehensive coverage of the IPL across digital devices.

ESPNCricinfo has announced the launch of several new products and sections for cricket fans that debut across online and mobile services in India and globally in time for the IPL 2013 season. According to the company, the new sections and products aim to deliver comprehensive coverage of IPL across digital devices and platforms.

Among the new products, the portal has launched ESPNCricinfo Match Companion as a social scorecard that will provide a second-screen match experience, combining standard scorecard information and stats with the functionality of social media. This will allow fans to connect and engage with other fans and friends to chat, debate, play games, follow the chatter on Twitter and have tools to access in-depth stats, information and analysis.

Each day of IPL 2013, ESPNCricinfo will host The Huddle - a 15-20 minute video show via Google+ Hangout in which its leading journalists will discuss the IPL action. Hosted by Cricinfo‟s editorial team that includes names like Sambit Bal and Sharda Ugra, and featuring journalists, writers, players, commentators and experts, the shows will be an off-beat take on the matches, tactics, gaffes, controversies, off-field action and results. Videos of the discussions will be available on-demand to view live on ESPNCricinfo and on its Google+ page.

Besides, Indian actor, screenwriter and director Rahul Bose, who will author a blog on ESPNCricinfo focused on the socio-cultural aspects of the IPL.

The portal has also launched an initiative called The Stands as an online forum designed entirely around cricket fans and their voice. "The Stands is for fans, by fans and of the fans. From detailed fan reports and commentary to photographs shot by fans and creative captioning of pictures, from polls on hot topics to tweet-sized comments, The Stands has numerous touch points for fans to sound off, speak up, discuss and debate," the company states in an official communique.

The Stands also houses Ask Rahul as a weekly video segment, where Rahul Dravid answers one fan's question about the game, his career or other relevant cricket topics.

ESPNCricinfo has also launched an Indian T20 Fantasy Game and a new ESPNCricinfo Cricket Predictor game on Facebook. Through the predictor Facebook app, fans can sign in and play with friends, predicting the winner of each matchup during the 2013 IPL season, compete against other fans and friends and share their predictions on social media.

With the Indian T20 Fantasy, fans can create their own team, set up and join public or private leagues, select players within a budget, make changes to your team via transfers, score points based on your teams performance and more.

The portal has also launched a special travel section for the IPL 2013, delivering guides for fans travelling to each of the IPL destination cities. For each of the cities, fans have a single place to learn about the city, the stadium, where to stay if you visit, where to eat and party while you are there, what are the nearby.