Surprise! Virat Kohli led Team India gets new sponsor; Oppo to be replaced by Byju’s

It seems a lot is set to change for Virat Kohli led Indian cricket team following a promising World Cup campaign in England that ended with the semi-final loss to New Zealand. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already sought applications for new head coach and other support staff and now, in a surprise move, a new name is set to appear on the players' jerseys as well! From September onwards, the Chinese mobile-maker Oppo will be replaced by Byju's, the Bangalore-based educational technology and online tutorial firm. 

However, for its next series against the West Indies which starts from August 3, the men in blue will continue to sport the Oppo logo. The tour will end on September 2 during which team India will play all three formats. The South Africa tour of India begins from September 15 and the new sponsor is likely to make its debut then. 

Oppo had won the Indian team sponsorship rights for a five-year period in March 2017 for a jaw-dropping amount of Rs 1,079 crore. The smartphone maker had outbid its Chinese rival Vivo that had placed a bid of Rs 768 crore. As part of the deal, Oppo was supposed to be Indian team’s sponsor till March 2022. 

In a statement shared with Zee Business Online, the company thanked BCCI for its support during this partnership and said that India will continue to be an important market for it even after the end of this partnership. 

“OPPO India would like to thank Team India and BCCI for a meaningful association that led the brand to become a household name in just five years of operations in India. As OPPO enters into its sixth year, India will continue to remain a key growth market. To meet rapidly growing consumer demand, OPPO will accelerate its efforts on local Production, R&D and Retail. This will help OPPO bolster its commitment to offer Indian consumers cutting-edge technology and a premium experience,” the statement read. 

Despite Oppo’s exit BCCI is unlikely to face any loss as the board will continue to receive the same amount from Byju's and till March 31, 2022. Oppo was paying BCCI Rs 4.61 crore per bilateral match and Rs 1.56 crore for an ICC event match.