MPL new apparel sponsor of Indian cricket team
New Delhi: Fantasy gaming platform Mobile Premier League (MPL) has been picked as the apparel sponsor of the Indian cricket team for a period of three years.
A member of the Apex Council confirmed the development on Monday that BCCI has inked the apparel and merchandise deal with MPL, replacing Nike.
"Yes, Apex Council has passed the sponsorship deal for the apparel of Indian team (men, women, A and U19).
"However the rate per match will be Rs 65 lakh per game instead of Rs 88 lakh that Nike was giving," the senior official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
While Puma and Adidas had earlier picked up the bid papers for apparel sponsorship, they didn't fill the bid as they felt that the deal needed to be reduced to one third from the original bid.
Nike had a five-year deal during which they paid Rs 370 crore from 2016 to 2020 with a 30 crore royalty.
"No sporting apparel major was ready to pay that kind of money that Nike paid in the current economic climate (due to COVID-19).
"One of the major reasons being merchandise items being very costly for common public," the source said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Aeroplane-shaped balloon with Urdu text found in Rajouri
Jammu (PTI): Police on Tuesday recovered an aeroplane-shaped balloon marked 'PIA' in Rajouri district, officials said.
A red and white aeroplane-shaped balloon bearing the text 'PIA' with Urdu was found in Sarhoti village under the Dharamsal Police Station, they said.
Locals alerted authorities after spotting the object.
Cops from Police Post Teryath reached the site, secured the balloon, and seized it, they added.
Earlier, on February 23, two balloons with a Pakistani Rs 5,000 currency note and a US dollar attached were recovered from Gunara village in the Akhnoor sector near Jammu.
