MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India is planning to inject adrenaline into the 10th season of the annual cricket fever beginning 5 April.

Having over 361 million viewers glued to the screens during the last season, Sony network will continue to have Telugu feed for this year’s edition as well. The broadcaster this year aims to sustain the viewership growth by continuing the Hindi, Tamil and Bengali feeds as well.

The English feed will be available on Sony Six channels whereas the Telugu, Tamil, Bengali and Hindi feeds will be available on Sony ESPN channels. Sony Max will exclusively air the Hindi feed.

SPNI EVP and business head of the Sports Cluster Prasana Krishnan said that IPL was the most successful start-up in the history of sport. IPL was an ode to viewers and fans and local flair resonated better with the IPL followers, Krishnan said.

If Navjot Singh Sidhu (now a minister) would be part of the team, Krishnan said that was a decision the government of Punjab would take. He said they would love to have him as he was one of the most popular faces and voices. This year, the six-member panel of commentators will include former international cricketers Venugopala Rao and Venkatapathy Raju, besides former Andhra and Deccan Chargers paceman Kalyan Krishna. Backing the trio will be P. Chandrasekhar, Sudheer Mahavadi, and C. Venkatesh.

Krishnan played down competition from other global cricket leagues. There was no evidence of IPL slowing down, he remarked. The viewership in India is about 25 times that of other leagues, he added.