The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has signed up Indian telco Jio as title sponsor of the 2020 edition of its women’s T20 Challenge, the first-ever sponsorship deal signed by the BCCI exclusively for women’s cricket.
The tie-up will also have the support of Reliance Foundation Education and Sports For All (RF ESA).
The competition involves three teams and will run from November 4 to November 9 in Sharjah.
Jio is already a sponsor of the men’s Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals. It also expressed its interest in the 2020 IPL title sponsorship rights after they became available following the suspension of the BCCI’s deal with Chinese smartphone brand Vivo, but
The title rights were ultimately awarded to fantasy gaming platform Dream11.
Jay Shah, BCCI honorary secretary, said: “Our goal with the Women’s T20 Challenge is to build a pathway to a dedicated Women’s’ IPL. Signing an exclusive title sponsor for the Women’s T20 Challenge, is a great testament to the property, allowing it to be self-sustainable. We believe Jio and RF ESA as title sponsors will be strong partners for the Women’s T20 Challenge.”
During an interview in July with SportBusiness, the prospect of the development of a dedicated women’s IPL competition was discussed by Jake Lush McCrum, Rajsathan Royals chief operation officer, Clare Connor, managing director of women’s cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Richard Gould, chief executive officer of Surrey County Cricket Club.
John Stephenson
john@cricketinvestor.co.uk
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