IPL 2020: BCCI makes big announcement about Chinese brand Vivo sponsorship of IPL

IPL 2020: BCCI makes big announcement about Chinese brand Vivo sponsorship of IPL and says will not consider deals with China firms in future

Bengaluru, June 18: Ban the Chinese products is the cry going around the country and in the social media after the Indo-China border stand-off at Ladakh. In that context, it raised some interest on what could be the stand of BCCI, which has Chinese smartphone giant Vivo as IPL's title sponsor.

In 2018, the Vivo had signed a five-year contract with the BCCI to be the title sponsor of the IPL and the deal worth a whopping Rs 2109 crore. It meant that the contract ran till the 2022 edition of the IPL.

Arun Dhumal, the BCCI treasurer, on Thursday (June 18) said the governing body will not consider taking Chinese firms on board in future as national interest comes ahead of everything else.

"For any future contract, we will keep public sentiment and national interest in mind. BCCI gives full commitment to look into boycotting Chinese product and endorsements in future in the best of the nation. BCCI has given all infrastructure to Indian companies and not Chinese companies," Dhumal told Republic TV.

However, Dhumal said the BCCI will have to honour the existing deals with its sponsors. "We need to differentiate between Indian and Chinese interest. Whatever money is coming 42 per cent going to Indian Government and the Indian Army. BCCI Contract was signed by the previous regime, but now we have to honour the contract.

"If the BCCI is making money out of a Chinese company then that money is going to the (Indian) government and Indian money through tax. It is helping Indian cause so we have to see whether Indian money is going to China or Chinese money is coming to India for India's interest," he added.

Interestingly, Vivo is also the sponsor of the much sought-after Pro Kabaddi League and the Chinese company also have agreements with FIFA for the football World Cups. Earlier, Oppo, a sister concern of Vivo, was the Indian cricket team's sponsor for two seasons (2017-18, 2018-19) but they withdrew the deal late last year and Byju's, a distance learning company based in Bengaluru, bagged the new sponsorship.