MIRPUR, Bangladesh: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni sprang to team mate Yuvraj Singh's defense after the left-hander's struggle with the bat in the World Twenty20 final loss to Sri Lanka.
Struggling to hit or rotate strike, Yuvraj looked a shadow of the player who was the architect of India's 20-over World Cup victory in 2007 and the 50 overs World Cup in 2011.
The lefthander, who hit England's Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over in the 2007 World Twenty20, used up 21 deliveries towards the end to score 11 runs, failing even to rotate strike and allow the set batsman and player-of-the-tournament Virat Kohli (77) to launch a late assault.
India managed 19 runs in the last four overs despite having eight wickets in hand and Kohli faced just eight balls in the last four overs before running himself out as India settled for a below-par 130 for four.
Dhoni conceded the last four overs probably cost India the trophy which would have completed a record limited overs treble for the 50-over World Cup and Champions Trophy holders.
"The last four is the place where you really want to score as many runs as you can. That was an area we could not capitalize (on)," Dhoni said.
He refused, however, to blame Yuvraj who, barring a half-century against Australia, had a poor tournament.
"He was trying, the thing is he was trying and that's the most you can do.
"It happens to all, not just cricketers. Yuvi tried his best, it was an off day for him. It's not easy for a batsman to go out and straight away start slogging."
Asked why he did not promote himself ahead of Yuvraj, Dhoni said: "We wanted a left-right combination to make it slightly difficult for the bowlers to execute their plans. That was the reason why we had Yuvi at number four."
The India captain preferred to credit the Sri Lankan bowlers for restricting his team.
"We have to give credit to the Sri Lankan bowlers. They were looking for wide yorkers and all were perfect wide yorkers.
"Other than one wide delivery, they were right on the mark which made it difficult for us to score freely."
India cricket captain Dhoni: Yuvraj tried his best
India cricket captain Dhoni: Yuvraj tried his best
Footballco launches new Riyadh studio to boost creator-led content boom
- Football media company’s venture caters for its Arabic video-first brands
- Footballco also plans to create in-studio formats for its fan-driven series, Yalla Fans, previously shot on location at football stadiums
RIYADH: Football media and culture company Footballco have opened a new production studio in Riyadh.
The move allows it to boost the volume of in-studio content created for its leading Arabic video-first football brands — Yalla Goal, Yalla Fans and Yalla Girl, as well as branded content for commercial partners.
The new studio complements Footballco’s Riyadh office, which opened in December 2024 as its Middle East headquarters. Footballco’s move to the city was driven by a desire to better serve clients in Saudi Arabia and to bring it closer to the country’s burgeoning football industry. The company now has 20 full-time staff in the Kingdom.
Footballco currently operates three video-first Arabic-language football brands in the region, all targeting Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha fans and fronted by experienced content creators. Yalla Goal combines spirited discussions, bold challenges and fun games, while Yalla Girl celebrates the growth of women’s football in Saudi Arabia and the region, with a focus on talent, personality, laughter and friendship. Footballco also plans to create in-studio formats for its fan-driven series, Yalla Fans, previously shot on location at football stadiums.
The company’s decision to invest in creator-led, in-studio video formats is backed by its own research which found that, for young fans, brand partnerships with creators are seen as more valuable than official tournament partnerships.
Footballco’s new studio will increase the frequency of video content created for its channels, supported by two full-time hosts for Yalla Goal — Mohammed Bargat and Waleed Al-Shargi (better known as Shargi), who have a combined following of over 900,000 on their personal channels.
Andy Jackson, Footballco’s Middle East senior vice president, said: “With seven national teams from the region set to appear at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, eight if Iraq qualify through the play-offs, these new facilities and increasing video output sets our brands up for success at a time where we know there will be an unprecedented demand for fun, creator-led video content.
“We’re also excited to welcome both Bargat and Shargi to the team, with both having more than proved themselves as understanding how to create content that resonates with young fans and they are already familiar to our audiences.”
He added: “In December, our Arabic social channels generated over 1.7 billion video views, so we are building from an incredibly strong base to further cement our position as the clear market leader both in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. Our creator-led video formats have proved incredibly popular with brands, and this investment will see us able to offer a broader range of opportunities to our many commercial partners.”
While the World Cup this summer will see Footballco’s new studio in constant use, the company is also readying a slate of programming across Ramadan, with a 30-show spread culminating in an Eid special.
Taha Imani, Footballco’s head of video and social in the Middle East and North Africa region, said: “With YouTube becoming the number one place for fans to enjoy longform and short-form football content, and based on success across Footballco brands such as The Front Three in other markets, we’re expecting to grow at speed as we approach the World Cup giving fans exactly what they want from us on a daily basis.”
