BCCI confirms MPL as Indian cricket team's new kit sponsor ahead of Australia tour

Athleisure wear and sports merchandise brand MPL Sports from Mobile Premier League has been announced as the new kit sponsors of the Indian cricket team. The news of BCCI's association with MPL Sports was confirmed by the board on Tuesday through a media advisory. Besides being the sponsors, MPL Sports is also the official merchandise partner for the Indian Cricket Team.

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MPL Sports becomes Indian Cricket Team's kit sponsors for three-years

As per the fresh contract, MPL Sports has entered into a three-year agreement with the BCCI starting from November 2020 to December 2023. MPL Sports’ association with the BCCI begins with upcoming India vs Australia 2020 tour, which will see Indian players donning the new jerseys. According to a recent report by ANI, the three-year deal is worth ₹120 crore. Moreover, women's team, as well as, the Under-19 teams are a part of the deal for the new kits. 

Besides Team India jerseys, MPL Sports will also sell licensed Team India merchandise where they will offer the jerseys and its wide range of Team India merchandise to fans at reasonable prices. Reportedly, the BCCI will also get revenue share - 10 per cent of every jersey or merchandise sold by MPL. 

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Speaking about the partnership with MPL Sports, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly said that they are delighted to announce the dawn of a new era for Indian cricket with the appointment of MPL Sports as the kit sponsor for the Indian men’s and women’s national cricket team until 2023. Sourav Ganguly added that the BCCI looks 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.

The Senior Vice-President of Growth and Marketing at MPL and MPL Sports, Abhishek Madhavan said that India is a market with a billion cricket fans and they see a lot of potential in the underpenetrated merchandise market in India.  Madhavan stated that they 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. He reckoned that associating with the Indian national cricket team is a matter of huge pride for them and they want every fan in the country to feel the same way and have access to the merchandise they can proudly flaunt.

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BCCI's deal with previous sponsors Nike came to an end on September 30 after which the sportswear giants decided not to extend its sponsorship deal. After the BCCI-Nike deal expired, the board failed to attract bids due to the uncertainty of international cricket calendar owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the same, the BCCI had made a provision for a non-apparel manufacturer to bid for the jersey rights.

Nike recently underwent a major overhaul as it announced a senior leadership reshuffle. Nike had announced that they were expecting a net loss of jobs across the company and a large number of new executive appointments as part of its latest restructuring exercise amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Moreover, plunging sales worldwide severely impacted Nike’s relationship with the Indian Cricket Team. Nike was Indian cricket's kit partner for the last 14 years. 

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SOURCE: BCCI & MPL TWITTER