The BCCI on Tuesday formally announced MPL Sports as the official kit sponsor and merchandise partner of the Indian cricket team.
MPL Sports replaces Nike as the kit sponsor of the national men’s and women’s as well as the Under-19 team.
The deal was cleared by the Board’s apex council on November 2. MPL Sports is the sports merchandise brand from Mobile Premier League, an e-sports platform in India.
Nike had a five-year deal during which they paid Rs 370 crore from 2016 to 2020, which ended in September. As per the newly-inked partnership, MPL Sports has entered into a three-year agreement from November 2020 to December 2023.
MPL Sports’ association with the BCCI begins with India’s tour of Australia, which will see Team India sporting the new jerseys. Apart from jerseys, MPL Sports will also sell licensed Team India merchandise.
MPL is currently associated with two IPL franchises – Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore – a CPL team and the cricket boards of Ireland and the UAE.
Commenting on the partnership, MPL Sports’ senior vice president Abhishek Madhavan said, “India is a market with a billion cricket fans and we see a lot of potential in the under-penetrated merchandise market in India.
“We hope to partner closely with the BCCI and take all kinds of Team India merchandise to the masses – with offline as well as online distribution at affordable prices.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said: “We look forward to MPL Sports adding a new chapter to the team’s kit, and bring official BCCI licensed merchandise within easy and convenient reach for the billion-plus fans who cheer for Team India.”
With PTI Inputs
