The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has finally confirmed the kit sponsorship deal with Mobile Premier League (MPL) Sports. The deal is set to start with immediate effect, expiring at the end of 2023. MPL Sports will be designing the training and first-team kits for the Indian men’s, women’s, and U-19 teams.
Nike has been the long-serving kit sponsors for the Indian Cricket team since 2005. The renowned sports apparel decided against signing a new improved deal. BCCI eventually started the procedure of accepting bids for the kit deal and found a breakthrough in negotiations with MPL.
Along with sponsoring kits for the Indian team, MPL will be selling the official merchandise of the Indian cricket team. The overall deal is reportedly in the region of ₹120 crores. It is a big coup for BCCI since finding the right sponsorship deals during the coronavirus pandemic is a tough task.
In the statement from BCCI, the secretary Jay Shah and president Sourav Ganguly insisted that signing a deal with MPL sports is a step in the right direction as the Indian team looks to explore the potential of the team’s merchandise in the market. Along with BCCI, it is a big boost for MPL as partnering with the Indian Cricket team will help in enhancing the brand image. The sports apparel will get a much larger exposure by associating with the Indian cricket team.
The new kits from MPL will be first worn by the Indian team at the end of November. The men’s Indian cricket team is currently in Australia for bilateral series across all formats. In the limited-overs series, the Men in Blue will be wearing vintage kits that will be made by MPL. The home debut of MPL kits is likely to come against England early in 2021.