You can view T20 as cricket engineered for screens. The match is compact, the tempo is high, and the story resets every over. That rhythm fits busy lives. It invites newcomers without scaring veterans. It feels like a show with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Scores, clips, live chat, and micro-bets live in one feed. Mentions of 4xbet appear in that stream as signals of a wider marketplace. Media, community, and commerce now share the same scroll, and each part boosts the other.
From Match to Show
T20 turns strategy into sprints. Powerplays compress risk. Bowlers reveal plans in short bursts. Captains gamble earlier because every dot ball is expensive. Viewers read the stakes quickly. The format rewards clarity, not patience, and that clarity keeps attention where it belongs — on the next ball.
What T20 Fixed for Busy Fans
Before the wins and memes, T20 solved practical problems for time-pressed people. It offered a complete arc in one evening and made the rules legible at a glance. Those fixes turned casual curiosity into habit.
An Evening, Not a Marathon — A full story fits post-work hours. Families can watch without surrendering a weekend. Predictable length lowers the entry barrier.
Fast Onboarding Cues — Powerplay rules, required run rate, and death-over urgency make stakes obvious to newcomers.
Self-Writing Highlights — Boundaries and wickets land on a reliable rhythm. Editors cut shareable clips without hunting.
Stars Kept Center-Frame — High-leverage overs concentrate marquee batters and bowlers where viewers notice most.
These choices respect time. They also reward repeat viewing. When fans know the window and language, they return tomorrow. Habit, not hype, builds ratings.
Data and the Second Screen
Numbers became a co-commentator. Required run rate meets balls remaining. Heatmaps explain bowling plans. Match-ups justify field changes. Second-screen dashboards let friends watch apart while sharing the same cues. Data sets the stakes; personality delivers the punchline.
Why Broadcasters Fell in Love
Networks needed inventory that sold ads without wrecking flow. T20 delivered natural beats for breaks, clean data graphics, and prime-time windows across markets. Production teams could plan every camera, sound cue, and replay with little waste.
Ad Rhythm That Fits — Regular pauses create sellable slots while momentum stays intact.
Data That Teaches — Win-probability and match-up graphics update each ball, adding context without jargon.
Global Time Zones — Night games hit prime time in multiple regions, turning leagues into export goods.
Franchise Identity — Colors, music, and city pride give broadcasters a ready-made narrative spine.
This toolkit scales. More fixtures mean more tickets, more ad minutes, and more sponsor activations. The product iterates like software each season.
The Social Engine
T20 manufactures moments built for travel. Last-over swings, relay catches, and audacious ramps turn into instant loops. Memes move names beyond traditional markets. A casual viewer sees three clips, learns two players, and returns tomorrow. Discovery becomes routine.
Critics and Craft
Purists worry about patience and technique. You see a different craft, not a lesser one. Range hitting, boundary angles, slower-ball reading, and pressure fielding demand skill. Decision speed under lights is its own art. The format rewards versatility more than volume.
Women’s T20 as Proof
Women’s leagues showed the template scales. Prime-time slots, crisp graphics, and local storytelling brought first-time viewers who stayed. That stickiness signals product-market fit. The short form did not dilute the sport; it widened the door.
What Comes Next
Personalized clips will surface what each viewer replays. Ambient audio will get richer without clutter. Scheduling will tighten rivalries into must-watch nights. Grassroots academies will train T20 skills earlier, from boundary math to death-over nerve.
Bottom Line
T20 works because it respects time while amplifying drama. It presents cricket as a tight story with constant stakes and clear language. That is the winning media equation: clarity, cadence, and characters — delivered before the night ends.
TWO Conservative MPs have launched a petition to stop Leicester City Council cutting back this year's Diwali celebrations.
Shivani Raja, MP for Leicester East, and Neil O'Brien, who represents nearby Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, started the Change.org petition on Wednesday (10) after the council announced plans to remove key elements from the October 20 event.
Safety experts have decided to cut the stage show, Diwali Village and fireworks from this year's celebrations on Belgrave Road, known as Leicester's Golden Mile. The changes follow concerns about crowd safety after 55,000 people attended last year's event.
Under the new plans, the festival will keep its lights display of more than 6,000 bulbs and the Wheel of Light. However, there will be no fireworks, Diwali Village at Cossington Park, food stalls, cultural performances, rides or activities.
The council will still close Belgrave Road so people can visit restaurants and shops safely.
"Let's not allow this festival to become a shadow of its former self," the petition said. The MPs want the council to bring back the full Diwali experience and work with community leaders and the Belgrave Business Association to create a safe plan that keeps the traditions.
A Safety Advisory Group made up of police and emergency services said the extra activities "compromise public safety".
Leicester City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said last week: "I completely understand and share the great desire to make Leicester's Diwali celebrations as good as can be. I thought that some of the suggestions put forward by the local community were achievable, but the Safety Advisory Group has rejected them all. I'm disappointed that as a result there won't be any additional activities, and I hope this is something the SAG will review next year."
The council said it needs to prevent "potentially dangerous crowd massing" seen in the past two years. The MPs had earlier written to Leicestershire Police asking them to reconsider the restrictions, arguing that the decision "will undermine the unique atmosphere that makes these celebrations so special and could damage Leicester's reputation as a centre for multicultural celebration".
They suggested police should provide more officers instead of cutting the festival.
Graham Callister, the council's head of festivals, events and cultural policy, said scaling back would create "additional space needed – and more importantly, less congestion – to safely welcome the crowds".
Councillor Vi Dempster explained: "Unfortunately, Leicester's annual Diwali festival has become a victim of its own success. We're being strongly advised by our emergency service partners and crowd control experts that it cannot continue safely in its current format due to the unrestricted and growing crowd numbers that it attracts, and that's a warning we must take extremely seriously."
The Leicester Diwali celebration is often described as one of the biggest outside India and has run on the Golden Mile for over 40 years.
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The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London. (Photo: Getty Images)
UK's ECONOMY showed no growth in July, according to official data released on Friday, adding to a difficult week for prime minister Keir Starmer’s government.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product was flat in July, following a 0.4 per cent rise in June.
The government has faced two major setbacks this week. Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner resigned over failing to pay a property tax, and on Thursday, Starmer dismissed Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington after new disclosures about his ties with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
While the July GDP figure matched market expectations, limiting the effect on the pound, the government admitted challenges in lifting growth.
"We know there's more to do to boost growth, because, whilst our economy isn't broken, it does feel stuck," a Treasury spokesperson said, as Labour prepared for its budget announcement in late November.
The data showed a 1.3 per cent fall in production, offsetting gains in services and construction.
"The stagnation in real GDP in July shows that the economy is still struggling to gain decent momentum in the face of the drag from previous hikes in taxes and possible further tax rises to come in the budget," said Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said last week that she would maintain a "tight grip" on public spending, setting November 26 for her budget speech.
The UK economy has faced weak growth since Reeves raised taxes and reduced public spending after Labour’s election win in July last year.
Separate ONS data on Friday showed exports of goods to the United States rose in July but stayed below levels seen before US president Donald Trump’s tariff measures.
Exports to the US increased by £800 million after London and Washington reached a trade deal that eased some tariffs, particularly on UK-made vehicles.
Trump will visit the UK next week for a state visit that includes talks with Starmer and a banquet hosted by King Charles.
IT WILL be a two-way contest between education secretary Bridget Phillipson and former Commons leader Lucy Powell for the post of Labour’s deputy leader after Emily Thornberry and Paula Barker withdrew from the race on Thursday (11).
Thornberry, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee, had secured 13 nominations from Labour MPs while Barker, the Liverpool Wavertree MP, had 14, well short of the 80 needed to progress.
Their withdrawals follow that of housing minister Alison McGovern, who pulled out on Wednesday (10) and backed Phillipson. Bell Ribeiro-Addy, MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill, remains in the running but with 15 nominations is unlikely to make the threshold by the 5pm deadline.
Phillipson has already secured 116 nominations, well above the requirement, while Powell has 77 and is expected to cross the line with late support.
The contest was triggered by the resignation of Angela Rayner, who admitted underpaying stamp duty on a flat and stepped down as deputy leader and deputy prime minister last week.
Her departure has left a gap in Labour’s leadership at a time when prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is managing his first year in government.
Thornberry, announcing her withdrawal on social media, said she was “deeply grateful” for the backing she received and described it as “a privilege to take part in this race with such brilliant women”. Barker said the next deputy leader must be willing to challenge the government when necessary and later endorsed Powell as someone who could be “a constructive friend to the government”.
Phillipson, a long-standing MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, has presented herself as a candidate with experience in Cabinet and the ability to take on populist threats, while Powell, who was removed as leader of the Commons during last week’s reshuffle, has argued she can devote herself fully to the deputy leadership role without ministerial duties.
Supporters of Powell say she offers a voice more independent of the leadership, while Phillipson’s backers highlight her loyalty and strong performance as education secretary.
The next stage of the contest will see candidates who meet the MP threshold secure backing from either five per cent of local constituency parties or three affiliated organisations, including at least two trade unions, in order to make the final ballot.
Voting among Labour members and affiliated supporters opens on October 8 and closes on October 23, with the winner to be announced on October 25.
The result will not affect the role of deputy prime minister, which has already been filled by David Lammy, but it will decide who takes the deputy leadership of the Labour party at a time of internal debate about direction and priorities.
The race, widely expected to run through Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool later this month, is seen as a test of party unity and the balance between loyalty to the leadership and space for dissent.
Senior figures have said they want the next deputy leader to be a woman and from outside London to address perceptions of a male-dominated and London-centric leadership.
Both Phillipson and Powell fit that profile, raising expectations that the final outcome will be decided not on geography but on whether members prefer a loyal cabinet figure or an independent backbencher with more freedom to speak out.
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Mandelson, 71, a veteran Labour politician and key figure in the party under former leader Tony Blair, had come under scrutiny after letters and emails to Epstein were published. (Photo: Getty Images)
PETER MANDELSON, the UK's ambassador to the United States, has been sacked over revelations about his friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the government said.
"The Prime Minister has asked the Foreign Secretary to withdraw him as ambassador," a foreign ministry statement said, adding that new messages showed "the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein".
Mandelson, 71, a veteran Labour politician and key figure in the party under former leader Tony Blair, had come under scrutiny after letters and emails to Epstein were published.
A birthday book included a letter purportedly from Mandelson describing Epstein as "my best pal". Further emails showed Mandelson advised Epstein to fight for early release when he faced charges over soliciting a minor.
"In light of the additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the prime minister has asked the foreign secretary to withdraw him as ambassador," the foreign ministry said. "The emails show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment."
The ministry added that Mandelson's suggestion that Epstein's first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged was "new information."
On Wednesday, Mandelson said he deeply regretted ever meeting Epstein and that he had carried on that association "for far longer than I should have done". Starmer later gave him his backing in parliament.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 at the age of 18, building it into the largest conservative youth organisation in the country. (Photo: Getty Images)
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk fatally shot at Utah Valley University
Shooter fired from a rooftop in what police called a “targeted attack”
Federal, state and local agencies involved in ongoing manhunt
Political leaders across parties condemn the killing
A MANHUNT was underway Thursday after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University, an attack that has sparked concerns of rising political violence in the United States.
Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck while addressing students at the Orem campus on Wednesday. Video from the scene showed him seated under a tent, responding to questions when a single gunshot was heard. He fell back in his chair as the crowd panicked.
The Utah Department of Public Safety said the shooter, dressed in dark clothing, fired from a nearby rooftop in what was described as a “targeted attack.” Authorities confirmed that Kirk was rushed from the venue by his security team but later died.
Witness accounts
Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, who attended the event, told Fox News the shot was fired as Kirk was answering a question about transgender and mass shooters.
“First question was about religion. He went on for about 15-20 minutes. Second question, interestingly, was about transgender shooters, mass shooters, and in the midst of that, the shot rang out,” Chaffetz said.
“As soon as that shot went out, he fell back. Everybody hit the deck... a lot of people started screaming, and then everybody started running.”
Students at the university described the scene as chaotic.
“It makes me feel like I should be very careful about expressing my political ideas,” said Samuel Kimball, a software engineering student. “If I was someone considering going into politics, I’d be afraid to get shot.”
Attendees hold candles during a candlelight vigil and prayer event for Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo: Getty Images)
Manhunt and investigation
Federal, state and local officers launched door-to-door searches, but the suspect remained at large. The FBI opened a digital tip line and confirmed that two men were briefly detained and later released. One man, George Zinn, was charged with obstruction, but authorities said neither detainee had current ties to the shooting.
There was some confusion during the search when FBI Director Kash Patel initially posted online that the suspect had been caught, before correcting the statement an hour later.
Orem city mayor David Young confirmed multiple agencies were investigating but said no arrests had been made.
Political reactions
President Donald Trump announced Kirk’s death on his Truth Social account, calling him “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk.” In a video statement from the Oval Office, Trump blamed the “radical left” for the killing.
“For years those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world's worst mass murderers and criminals,” Trump said. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing in our country today. My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity, and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it.”
Trump also ordered US flags on federal buildings to be flown at half-staff until Sunday.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox described the killing as a “political assassination.”
“I want to make it crystal clear right now to whoever did this: we will find you, we will try you, and we will hold you accountable to the furthest extent of the law,” Cox said. “And I just want to remind people that we still have the death penalty here in the state of Utah.”
Responses across political spectrum
Vice President JD Vance wrote, “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.”
Former president Joe Biden said: “There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom called the attack “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.”
Former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt, said she was “horrified.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also condemned the killing, saying “political violence has no place in America.”
Kirk’s influence
Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 at the age of 18, building it into the largest conservative youth organisation in the country. Known for his social media presence, he was an influential voice among younger voters and a key ally in Trump’s political base.
The Utah event where he was killed was the first of about 15 appearances scheduled through October.
His death follows the killing of a Democratic lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota three months ago.