NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League has suspended its sponsorship contract with the main sponsor, Chinese firm Vivo, amid fallout from a deadly June border clash between two countries.
In this regard, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed that the deal had been called off for the 2020 tournament, which is due to start in the United Arab Emirates on September 19.
The BCCI sent out a one-line statement, without giving any details, to say that Vivo will not be associated with the IPL this year.
“The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Vivo Mobile India have decided to suspend their partnership for Indian Premier League in 2020,” the press release stated.
Vivo won the IPL title sponsorship rights for five years from 2018 to 2022 for a reported sum of Rs 2190 crore, approximately Rs 440 crore per annum.
However, calls for a boycott of Chinese firms emerged since the June 15 clash in which 20 Indian soldiers died. Nationalist groups had threatened to call a boycott of the cricket tournament if Vivo was retained.
Sources informed that the Indian cricket board was in talks with Indian companies about stepping in for this year but expected to make less than the $60 million.
Earlier, the Indian government banned dozens of Chinese smartphone applications, including TikTok, and took other measures that will restrict trade with China
ADVERTISEMENT
