Intel is working on bringing new innovations to the game of cricket as it today announced its partnership with the International Cricket Council (ICC). It also announced the technologies that it will be bringing including advanced pitch analysis by an Intel drone, profiling the bat swing using a bat sensor powered by an Intel Curie module, and bringing a cricket VR experience to the fans at the stadiums.

According to the company these technologies will be showcased at the ICC Champions Trophy which will be kicking of from 1 June in UK.

“We couldn’t be more excited to have Intel as our Official Innovation Partner of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. The innovations Intel is bringing to the game promise to transform how cricket is experienced and enjoyed around the world, and we look forward to partnering with Intel in this effort,” said David Richardson, CEO of the ICC.

Sandra Lopez, Intel Sports Group Vice President also mentioned the importance of technology in transforming the way we play and view sports. “Our goal is to lead the way forward into the digitization and personalization of sports, transforming the way fans and athletes experience sports,” Lopez added.

For the first time, the Champions Trophy will witness the use of Intel Falcon 8 Drone, which will be equipped with HD and infrared cameras. This will be used for advanced pitch analysis before every match and the images captured by the drone could offer pitch conditions such as grass cover, grass health, and topology.

A new bat sensor, made by a company called Speculur, powered by the Intel Curie technology can mount on any cricket bat to generate data for every stroke that the batsman plays. With this parameters like back-lift, bat speed and follow-through can be tracked for every shot made by a batsman providing an in-depth analysis of the gameplay.

Speculur Managing Director Atul Srivastava added, “Speculur BatSense with Intel Inside has the potential to transform cricket across a varied audience from coaches to aspiring self-taught cricketers. Coaches can use their insights and expertise along with the bat sensor data to make specific adjustments to a batsman’s technique ultimately helping him perform better.”

The bat sensor is also expected to reach consumers later in the year. Speculur plans to make BatSense with Intel Inside available in Australia, India, the United States and the UK in the second half of 2017.

Intel will also be showcasing innovative experiences for in-stadium fans with Virtual Reality (VR) experience zones at the Oval and Edgbaston stadiums. Fans can experience an immersive cricket experience by facing a virtual bowler using a head mounted display (HMD). Fans can test his or her batting skill against a virtual bowler and using the Intel Curie technology enabled cricket bat, the player will be able to see data from their swing such as bat speed and back-lift angle as well as a simulated score from the VR session.

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