MPL increases IPL 2020 involvement by partnering Virat Kohli's RCB after KKR deal

On Tuesday, Indian gaming company Mobile Premier League (MPL) announced that it has been named as the official partner of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise ahead of the IPL 2020. MPL is confident of providing the Virat Kohli-led franchise with a wide online reach through its strong digital presence. Interestingly, MPL recently came on board as the principal sponsor for both the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2020 as well as for the Trinbago Knight Riders during the ongoing CPL 2020 tournament in the West Indies.

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MPL, RCB delighted with IPL 2020 partnership

RCB chairman Sanjeev Churiwala, in an official statement, said that he is delighted and looking forward to the collaboration with MPL as both the entities have the same ethos and can benefit each other through their core competencies. MPL Vice-President of Growth and Marketing, Abhishek Madhavan also expressed his joy for the newly-formed association. He stated how the Kohli-led team is one of the strongest and most popular teams of the cash-rich league. He also spoke about how RCB skipper is also MPL's brand ambassador and his fan following will have a positive impact on the brand.

The RCB side had earlier roped in Muthoot Blue as their title sponsor for the IPL 2020. Muthoot Blue replaces clothing brand Wrogn as the title sponsor for the Bengaluru-based franchise. The MPL news comes as a huge relief for RCB as it was reportedly the last out of the eight teams to find a title sponsor for their side this season.

Speaking about the MPL, it has emerged as one of the fastest growing gaming platforms in the country in a very short span of time. It was founded in the year 2018 and currently boasts of 50 million registered users. Making the most of the CPL 2020 association with TKR, MPL is also jostling for advertising space in cricket due to the rise of rivals Dream11. Dream11 was named as the IPL 2020 title sponsor last week.

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RCB in the IPL 2020

The IPL 2020 is slated to take place in the UAE this year, courtesy the ongoing COVID-19 situation in India. The RCB along with other teams have already reached Dubai and are currently quarantined before they go for a second round of tests. Recently, RCB also had their first-ever virtual team meeting after reaching the UAE, where Virat Kohli and Simon Katich were seen addressing the team from their respective hotel rooms.

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It is mandatory for all the franchises to comply with the stringent guidelines set by the BCCI, in order to ensure the tournament operations are carried out smoothly. The first match of the season is set for September 19 and the tournament will stretch till November 10.

(Image Source: MPL Facebook) 

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