Interactive Avenues, a Reprise network company and Mediabrands India’s digital arm, has unveiled ‘Capturing the Glory: A Social Listening Report on #T20WorldCup’, a report that delves into the digital discussion environment around the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and India’s victory.
The research, which is based on data taken from social media sites such as Twitter, Reddit, and famous cricket forums, provides perspectives on player popularity, most praised performances, most discussed matches, top brand collaborations, and more.
Shantanu Sirohi, COO, Interactive Avenues, said, “The Cricket T20 World Cup has once again proven the unparalleled ability of cricket to captivate audiences. This tournament has set new benchmarks for player popularity, with stars like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah leading the conversations. Our comprehensive social listening report not only highlights the staggering number of mentions and engagements, but also delves into the elements that drove these numbers.”
The key results of the study are:
Social buzz highlights: The competition had 55.9 million mentions and 461 million engagements. Rohit Sharma ranked as the most discussed player and batter (5.5 million mentions). Jasprit Bumrah was the most acclaimed bowler (1.2 million comments), while Hardik Pandya was the best all-rounder (1.1 million mentions). The final between India and South Africa received the greatest attention (2.2 million mentions), followed by India’s match against Pakistan (1.7 million mentions).
Most exciting moments: Suryakumar Yadav‘s sensational catch, which helped India win the T20 World Cup, had 209K mentions. Afghanistan’s victory over Bangladesh in a low-scoring thriller to secure their semi-final position drew 156K comments, while India’s victory over Pakistan by six runs in the low-scoring group stage encounter received 122K mentions.
Most popular players: Rohit Sharma (5.5 million mentions), Virat Kohli (4.1 million mentions), Suryakumar Yadav (1.3 million mentions), Jasprit Bumrah (1.2 million mentions), and Hardik Pandya (1.1 million mentions) appeared as among the most frequently mentioned athletes on social media.
Top developing players: Players from the United States led the popularity ratings among emerging talent. Saurabh Netravalkar had the most mentions (163K), which was followed by Ali Khan (67K), Aaron Jones (49K), and Monank Patel (30K).
Top emotional moments: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s ‘bromance’, which included footage of their journey together, garnered 7.1 million interactions. Rohit and Virat’s retirement announcement from T20 international matches sparked 4.1 million interactions. Rohit Sharma kissing Hardik Pandya in an emotional moment after India won the prestigious trophy had 2.3 million views.
Greatest comeback story: Pandya, who was booed at every single venue during the IPL 2024 (92% negative mentions), achieved 88% positive mentions during the T20 World Cup 2024.
Top brand partnerships: Brands from a variety of sectors used T20 CWC-based associations to increase engagement. Maruti earned 258K mentions, Amul got 200K mentions, while ICICI Bank got 145K comments.
Nandini Milk had a 390% rise in average monthly engagement, while Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited’s (BPCL) “Snap the AD” campaign boosted average monthly engagement by 191%.