ESPNcricinfo & Maruti Suzuki bring 3rd season of ‘On The Road'

ESPNcricinfo, the go-to digital destination for all things cricket and Maruti Suzuki partner for the third consecutive year to bring their digital sports and travel show, On The Road. ESPNcricinfo presenter and renowned VJ Archana Vijaya in the latest season of On The Road takes the viewers on a new journey exploring the untouched or little known facets of cricket across Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. The show will air every week starting Monday, April 15^th on ESPNcricinfo app and website.

Archana Vijaya, the winner of Best Television Presenter (female), 2012, takes on the mantle of being the host for this year's edition. With a background in modelling and being a VJ, Archana eventually branched out to hosting cricket shows soon after. In 2011, she became the host of IPL4, and since then there has been no looking back. She has made her presence felt on premier television shows in India, including hosting IPL5 again in 2012, and then as part of reality shows and travel shows.

Commenting on being back with the third Season of On The Road, Akshaya Kolhe, Head Sales, India and South Asia, ESPN said, “Over the years, this show has carved a unique identity for itself in the world of cricket. One of the reasons for its popularity is the show’s ability to bring to light a different side of cricket. Archana lends her unique style to the show and with her passion for cricket helps bring the stories to the fore in an entertaining and engaging format. I am sure we will continue our journey with Maruti Suzuki and explore more cricket within the country.”

Spread over eight episodes, ‘On The Road’ starts in Mumbai, followed by the other three cities. The first episode covers RCB’s breakout star, Shivam Dubey’s story. The episode also features celebrity dietician and nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar’s take on a healthy diet she has specially designed for those who binge-watch the IPL. In Delhi, the episode features a candid tête-à-tête with Virat Kohli’s coach, Rajkumar Sharma, while also exploring the Roshanara Club and covering the rise of Delhi’s young female cricketers emerging as role models for their community. The Whistle Podu Army - CSK Fan Club, also the winner of the Best Fan Club of the Year, then welcomes the show to Chennai where they have some terrific stories to share. In Kolkata, the team tries to gain insights about the legendary cricket arena, Eden Gardens. It reminisces Sourav Ganguly’s match-winning knockouts and deep dives into how the social cause he is closely associated with is bringing underprivileged kids from around the globe to play at Lord’s Cricket Stadium.

Speaking on the collaboration, Mr. Tarun Garg, Executive Director-Marketing, Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, “Maruti Suzuki’s collaboration with ‘On The Road’ is in its 3rd year now and has been extremely effective in making us and our consumers experience the festivity that surrounds cricket in India. Being the travel partner for a show that combines travel with cricket has been an ideal way for us to reach out to our audience who is as dynamic as Maruti Suzuki. The young, thrill seeking and ever-evolving persona of Maruti Suzuki aligns perfectly with the sport, and we can’t wait to discover what the roads ahead have in store.”

Archana Vijaya, said, “On The Road combines cricket and travel with glimpses of food, human interest and more. It brings together all the things that this country loves, and I cannot imagine a more entertaining concept for the Indian audience. This year, we have an exciting line-up of cities, cricket, and other cultural stories and I am looking forward to it.”