Mumbai: The BCCI on Thursday confirmed that Vivo will not be the title sponsor of IPL 2020 amid the looming Sino-India diplomatic tensions.
The cricket body sent out a one-line statement, with no more details, to say that the Chinese mobile company will not be associated with IPL this year.
“The BCCI and Vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd have decided to suspend their partnership for Indian Premier League in 2020,” said the statement.
On the other side, the company stated that the associated is being halted for this year. “The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd have mutually decided to pause their partnership for the 2020 season of Indian Premier League,” it stated.
Vivo bagged the title sponsorship rights for five years from 2018 to 2022 for a sum of about USD 341 million. However, there is uncertainty as to what the position of sponsorship would be for the next season and beyond.
Media reports have speculated that Vivo would return as the title sponsor next year if the two nations come at a friendly term.
This mutual decision would not affect the finance of the franchises. Each franchise would get Rs 20 crore (USD 2.67 million) from Vivo as a part of the contract.
This decision comes in the aftermath of the clash in the Galwan valley. Earlier this week, sources at the BCCI confirmed the temporary disassociation between the cricket body and the mobile company.
The BCCI is likely to float a new tender for the title sponsorship before it gets on the ground in the UAE. Amid the prevailing Covid-19 lockdowns and surge in cases across India, this year’s IPL will be played from September 19 in the UAE.
