The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Tuesday that mobile manufacturing company OPPO will be the new sponsor of the Indian cricket team, replacing broadcasting giants Star India.
"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is pleased to announce OPPO Mobiles India Private Limited as the new team sponsor for the Indian Cricket Team," the BCCI said in a statement.
"The mobile manufacturing giant OPPO's association with BCCI will start from April 2017 for a period of five years," it added.
Star India had made it clear that it would not seek a renewal of its sponsorship deal, which was to end next month.
The company had cited differences with the Board on the commitments sought from them as the reason for its decision.
Star India took over as the Indian cricket team's sponsor in 2013 from Sahara, which was declared ineligible by the Board.
The team sponsor gets to have its commercial logo on the both the men's and women's kits.
The OPPO deal is likely to have gone beyond Rs 538 crore, the amount which STAR India had paid BCCI for its deal.
The next deal that the BCCI will have to sign is for the IPL broadcast. The rights are currently with Sony and will end after this year’s IPL.
Between June 2017 and March 2022, India is scheduled to play 259 international matches, comprising 62 Tests, 152 ODIs and 45 T20 Internationals. This includes events like the 2019 World Cup in England and the World T20 in Australia in 2020.
(With PTI inputs)
