India, June 16, 2014 –Sarbajit Mitra, an M.Phil.student from Kolkata has been named winner of the first edition of ESPNcricinfo’s CricIQ, a two-month long, nationwide hunt for the most knowledgeable cricket fan. Sarbajit, 26, fought offa worthy challenge from the three other finalists, the best cricket quizzing talentshortlisted over a period of eight weeks from several tens of thousands of participants nationwide. Mitra was adjudged the country’s most knowledgeablecricket fan, and won the grand prize of an all-expenses paid trip to London to watch India play England this summer in the second Test match at Lord’s.
The CricIQ journey culminated at the ESPNcricinfo studio in Bangalore, where the final was hosted by renowned quiz master and cricket media personality Joy Bhattacharjya, who also conducted the online rounds. The final was a closely contested affair but Sarbajit held his nerve to the end and came out on top.It was third-time lucky for Sarbajit, who was a finalist at the ESPN school quiz in 2004, and also missed out closely at the ESPN Champions of the World quiz in 2009. But this time, there was no stopping him, as he finished ahead of the other finalists Danny Bhandari, Shasheen Shah and Manish Achuth.
Speaking soon after his hard-earned victory, and after receiving his prize from Rahul Dravid – on hand for the final as a guest of ESPNcricinfo – Sarbajit said, “I have always been an ardent cricket follower. However, cricket quizzes in India are few and far between. It has been great to participate in a unique cricket quiz like CricIQ and is an even better feeling to win. I wasn’t entirely sure about the hangout format to begin with but, I have to say, this has been a brilliant experience right from start to finish. Going to Lord’s is a long-time dream come true. I am grateful to ESPNcricinfo for giving me the opportunity and, more importantly, for creating an exciting cricket quiz that truly tested the extent of my cricketing knowledge. ”
“The quality of the questions is unmatched by any competition, which you would expect from ESPNcricinfo. But what stands out for me, personally, is the enthusiasm and knowledge of the people I have had the opportunity to compete against”, he added.“If we needed any proof of this country’s love for cricket and its knowledge of the game, then this would have to be it.”
Sarbajit’s win marks the end of the highly successful first edition of CricIQ, a unique initiative by ESPNcricinfo, the world’s digital home of cricket. The competition was launched on April 16, with the online rounds that allowed any cricket lover with access to an internet connection – broadbandor mobile – to have a go by logging in to www.criciq.com. Participants were given three attempts every day for a period of 40 days to make it to the top of the hotly contested weekly leader-boards. The top five from each week then clashed in video rounds hosted over the internet via Hangouts. Participants from different parts of the country logged in from their respective homes to tackle questions thrown at them by Mr. Bhattacharjya, who joined the Hangouts from different cities each weekend, since he was travelling with the Kolkata Knight Riders IPL team. The four finalists were identified after seven closely-contested Hangouts, with Sarbajit going on to win the big prize at the final. He is set to travel to London with his father, also an ardent cricket fan.
Ramesh Kumar, Head of ESPNcricinfo and ESPN Digital Media India explains why CricIQ fulfils a clear need gap in the market and also a strategic initiative for ESPNcricinfo to further consolidate its leadership position, “ESPNcricinfo has always been a pioneer and innovator during its 20-plus years of growth and has offered products and experiences to fulfil the needs of consumers globally. Cricket fans like to engage in quizzing and test themselves on various trivia and factoids and this happens informally in offices, collages and various group engagements. So we conceived a product with digital at its core, that enabled consumers have an interactive experience of being tested on their knowledge levels around cricket factoids and trivia. The participation and response to CricIQ has been overwhelming and we look forward to experimenting with new ideas to make future editions even bigger and better.”
CricIQ combined leading digital product development and technology to deliver an immersive and responsive user experience. Implementing a unique technology stack representative of today’s digital natives, this first edition of CricIQ was a peek into the future and a two-monthlong celebration of the Indian cricket fan and his love for the gentleman’s game. For Sarbajit, however, the true celebration is just a month away.
Watch the finals on www.criciq.com.
